WITH geomagnetic activity forecast, the Northern Lights could be visible from Cheshire West tonight.

Minor geomagnetic storms mean that Northern England and Northern Ireland is likely to see visible auroras this evening (Thursday, April 20).

The Met Office have said that the possible arrival of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) - a phenomena in which material from the sun's surface is ejected into space - is likely to cause visible aurora across the north of England tonight and into Friday. There is a lower chance of aurora visible to North Wales and central England also.

The Met Office's forecast map predicts that the activity will be at its height between the hours of 9pm tonight and 2am tomorrow morning, although a Geomagnetic Storm Watch has been in place since 4am this morning and is due to continue until midday on Friday.

If you want to make the most of the opportunity to see this stunning natural light show, here's how you can.

Tips for seeing the aurora

  • You will need a clear night with no cloud cover (some clear spells are forecast this evening)
  • Find a dark location with no light pollution
  • Look toward the northern horizon
  • Be cautious that geomagnetic activity can cause disturbances to satellite navigation

The distance to the aurora belt, which is typically positioned above Norway/Iceland/Greenland, together with light pollution can mean that the Northern Lights are portrayed much brighter in pictures than they appear with the naked eye.

How to capture the Northern Lights

Once you have checked the forecast and have found your 'dark skies' location, you may wish to find an interesting foreground to create silhouettes in to the sky.

The Royal Photographic Society suggests that basic equipment in the form of a tripod is recommended, and a wide-angle lens (35mm to 14mm on a full-frame camera), to get as much of the sky as possible. A remote shutter release (or the camera's self-timer) will stop any movement when you make your exposure.

The camera's white balance should be set to 3500k for the most natural and consistent results. Use your camera’s RAW file setting if it has it and set the focus manually to infinity.

You will always need to experiment with exposure, but as a starting point, try setting your camera’s ISO to 1600 or 3200, an aperture of f/2.8 or f/4 and try a shutter speed of 8 to 15 seconds, depending on the brightness of the auroras.

If it is moving very quickly you’ll need a faster shutter speed, perhaps down to 1-3 seconds. Aim to capture as much light with the shortest exposure you can.

You’ll probably find that your camera sensor will capture more than you can see.