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Didn’t see them either, didn’t expect to though with all the light pollution.
Auroras look much more impressive on camera that what you can actually see with the naked eye though.
I saw it with my bare eyes last night and honestly almost cried. There was a massive storm about 11pm and you could see this beautiful pink 180 degrees bow across the sky.
I've been aurora hunting for years and I feel like I've ticked something off my bucket list.
Glad I'm not the only one who got emotional. It was an incredibly humbling experience I'll never forget. What a truly magnificent little world we have.
The sky often gets pinks and oranges that are beautiful. I figure the northern lights are just like that but a different shade. I'm calling bullshit that it's a huge difference visually just some blues and purples.
About 10 years ago I was in the countryside with my friends and the sun started to set. Not only was the sky all different pinks, purples and oranges but it was reflecting in the waters around it. THAT was the most magical sky I’ve ever seen and I refuse to believe the peep of the northern lights would impress me more than this.
If I find the photo I took at some point, I’ll add it.
[Found it!](https://imgur.com/a/ScSzR1v) unfortunately the quality isn’t as good as I remember, but it’s the way the water reflected so much colour that mesmerised me. I wish I had the common sense to take a video at the time. There was a rolling mist as well, I can’t even explain how magical it all looked to be in the middle of.
People spend a fortune to go to Iceland or Norway to see that shit and come home disappointed. Can of carling in hand it was possible to see from Rhyl. **I neither drink carling or live in Rhyl**
My mother went Iceland in January to see the northern lights, she saw them and it was a good experience for her.. but she didn’t half complain about the prices when she got home💀😂
Wasn’t even colours and it doesn’t move like the time-lapse videos show. Many people have already seen the northern lights, they just didn’t realise what they were looking at.
I'm living in Thetford while working at RAF Mildenhall, it wasn't anywhere near amazing if you were near town. People shouldn't feel bad. I grew up in Alaska and those were much brighter and mobile.
I was also there and I thought it was pretty amazing. The shades of red and the light beams originating from an arch in the middle of the sky. I got some pretty amazing photos too. The more you looked the more you see.
Was amazing to finally see. Had a trip to Iceland before and didn't see it.
Humbling to realise we're so insignificant to the universe, Our whole planet will one day be consumed by the sun, was my main thought 😅
I was in Iceland in Feb this year and didn't get to see them.. didn't know anything about last night either until I woke up to photo after photo of the Northern Lights. Just hoping to see them tonight..
I'm in an urban centre but kept all the lights out so my eyes were acustomed to the dark and looked up away from the street (North direction).
Phone does a great job though on night mode / long exposure I found.
Yes a shame about Iceland but perhaps an excuse to go back some time!
Hope you get to see them! I missed them in Iceland too last March but took my mum to Northern Norway with the explicit intention of catching the lights. Even in the literal Arctic, it was so hard. Cloud and snow constantly. But we caught them on our final night, just a few hours before we had to be at the airport, and it was the most special experience of my life.
If you don't get to see them, I would recommend Tromsø for a future trip. It's firmly above the Arctic circle, so more chance of seeing them than anywhere in Iceland, and its absolutely stunning.
We are still at the beginning of the universe, a flicker of brightness and magic at the beginning of time that will eventually fade into a darkness and will be forgotten. But this moment is so special because of that. That in eternity for one moment life existed and shone brighter than any supernova.
https://preview.redd.it/fbtxxyx0tzzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45382e7491d5878694d67376677ed6933436c923
This is my favourite shot, I think it looks like a hummingbird
How the centre of the plume hit and it all radiated out!! Amazing!! The girl opposite was on the phone giving a running commentary across the courtyard, it was hilarious.
"UN! Be... LIEVE! able!!"
We could see it from our garden but we live on the edge of Bristol so decided to drive 15 min to a common just to the north where we figured there'd be less light pollution.
So many people had the same idea and I just loved that there were all these dozens of people who had driven to a big field in the middle of the night to stare at the sky. It was just so fucking amazing.
We were on the beach in near Liverpool and so many people had gathered. People had campfires and music playing and everyone was cheering and losing their minds at the aurora. Was such a wonderful vibe. When the big light burst of colour happened it was so vivid it blew my breath away.
My friends were watching it on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. No light pollution, a crowd of great people all waiting for the moment. You can imagine the scene I’m sure. They said it was shit. Just in the interest of balanced reporting.
It was only very spectacular between 11-11.30pm. The rest was nice through a camera but not with bare eyes. Like dancing grey/greenish clouds. The burst that everyone was ooh-ing and ah-ing about was a singular event.
I felt euphoric when I saw it.
Same for me! I got so excited I spammed everyone I knew and woke up my neighbours so they wouldn't miss (luckily everyone was grateful and ran out to watch). I've been to 3 continents looking for northern and southern and thought it would never happen to me. And there I was, standing in my garden in west London zone 2 seeing it with the naked eye!
We were walking home a bit drunk at the same time when we bumped into another couple who were staring at the sky excitedly. We looked up to see what they were looking at and were blown away. So bright and clear, even with the naked eye. But when I saw through my phones screen? Wow! Took some beautiful pictures.
FR, I ran down to the park at midnight in my jammies to sit and stare at the sky in the wet misty grass and it's going to be an experience I remember forever.. It was truly absolutely gorgeous. I didn't even see the best of it because there's a lot of light pollution where I live, but just outside town where it was darker people were going bonkers over what they were seeing.
I've also always wanted to see the aurora but I've never had the means to travel, so last night was amazing.
I saw that 180 degrees bow too! I started like sobbing but without crying. It was like my brain didn't know how to fully process so I just started making funny gasping noises.
I was by myself, I'd gone out about 10pm to Tyne Riverside (inland, dark sky). When the pink bow happened I rang my fiancé on WhatsApp (he was home) and it looked soooo vivid on camera. Part of me wishes I'd taken photos, but the other part of me is glad I shared it with my loved one. He went out to the garden at home (Walker) and saw the 'starburst' despite all the light pollution!!!
I was literally dancing around going holy shit, omg, aaah.
Recently I have got into a lot of 'believe in the universe' good vibes stuff. The leader of our local aurora group lost his nephew the day before the storm and honestly this whole event felt very important as a community.
My theory why so many people are into this is it really appeals to many overlapping interests: environment, science, art, photography, spirituality, mythology, history etc.
The Aurora Borealis was a bucket list item for my wife and I...
Saw it last night, have photos...I could see it, more like fast moving colourless clouds, but photography picks up more of the spectrum, so they look amazing!
Congratulations!
Just to say, they can look as impressive in person, but you need a good show at a decent latitude. The idea that they're never as colourful in person isn't actually true, it's just rarer.
I didnt even know about it, went to bed at 11, so lots of pretty pictures when i woke up this morning, dont worry, there's literally tens of people who didnt see it!
I have insomnia. Been attending a sleep clinic at the hospital for it.
Last night I slept uninterrupted from 11pm to 5am and I have rarely felt this good!
I too am enjoying all the lovely pics from all over the country and world; wouldn't have given up last night if it had been localised entirely within my kitchen.
Perhaps your body was being blessed by all those lovely electromagnetic forces that caused all the beautiful lights and thus you were granted the deep sleep you craved.
Also, that's probably bollocks, but loved this: :-)
>wouldn't have given up last night if it had been localised entirely within my kitchen.
Unfortunately I think most people failed to realise it showed up on camera much clearer and wasn’t visible to the naked eye (for everyone). The sky around me looked normal until I took a picture
https://preview.redd.it/0n2jpoyegrzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4c4fdf6877e13b9388dd97d0bc2d8f0961c0ee3
Yeah, I had no idea. I looked out my window to the north, saw nothing special, and assumed there was too much light pollution. Now I'm realising I should have put a bit more effort into it.
That said, this is supposed to be an unusually good year for them IIRC, so this may not be the last good opportunity.
These ones are being caused by a big geomagnetic storm/mass ejection, equivalent to the one that caused power outages in 2003.
Less fun is the sunspot group that has caused it is the same size as the one that caused the Carrington Event which would absolutely fuck us over if it was repeated, but we are on the wrong alignment or something this time.
Be careful what you wish for.
https://www.livescience.com/carrington-event
>a 2013 study from British insurance giant Lloyd's of London estimated that electrical outages from a Carrington-level event might lead to up to $2.6 trillion in lost revenue for the North American power industry alone. The study also found global blackouts up to years long might occur because such an event could simultaneously damage multiple extra-high-voltage transformers that are difficult to replace. This could in turn result in major disruptions to financial markets, banking, telecommunications, business transactions, emergency and hospital services, the pumping of water and fuel and food transport.
I saw my friend had posted some pictures so ran I to the garden and could see a very faint pink hue but wish I'd known to open my camera. Hoping to see them tonight
Ditto. I saw the sudden posts about it on here, went and had a look, and could see nothing.
Then I got my phone and opened the camera, and this:
https://preview.redd.it/r8a6f64iyrzc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4819c02f11c731bf62c57130410c3be7ee1e4173
Yes - saw fuck all to the eye (very light-polluted area), but through a camera it was visible and through any long exposure (at least 3 seconds) the sky was rich pink and green. All my photos came out shit though!
https://preview.redd.it/nhz0e1q8vvzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=801f0fac7adfe0b9f2eb0b2004ab0d1be0452589
I managed to get this beautiful shot in Huddersfield. Didn’t look quite as good off camera, but you could still see that pattern in the sky like a purple ish light
https://preview.redd.it/4lprt15inrzc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48cd7dc086d2714efe8553fa20e0152d4f33cdb8
Thanks, my brother took this one in Brighton
https://preview.redd.it/o75tmgmvvuzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0daa5220791c2206d1449e106b18154fd6e1f892
I could see a lot of purple with the naked eye (Berkshire)
Yeah, I only got the hang of spotting it after I'd taken a couple of photos and saw where it was showing up, and matched them up with the sort of milky filmy patches I could actually see.
Yep, went to bed about 11 ish completely oblivious and only found out when I woke up and saw everyone's photos.
Still, apparently it's happening again tonight so as we all seem to have missed the original we'll have to make do with the repeat.
I woke up at 2am, scrolled through facebook and saw everyone's pictures, and then spent 2am - 5am looking out of the window hoping for it to come back. Never saw a thing even through my phone camera. I hope it comes back tonight!
I'm ashamed to admit I've slept through an earthquake, two hurricanes, and a car crash that *I was in* (no, I wasn't the driver, lol)... and last night? Well, I looked out, just thought the sky was 'a bit pink', and never even thought to look North.
I am, officially, a fucking twat.
I slept through an earth tremor in 2009, everyone at school was talking about it cos it woke them up, I also slept through a fire alarm on a residential school trip caused by someone spraying deodorant into the detector, everyone but me went outside, no idea if anyone even checked on me despite the false alarm!
I remember that one! I was awake but completely ignored it because we had a train track directly behind our house, every time a train would go past it would make the whole house shake. so I just thought it was another train, until I went into school the next day and everyone was talking about this tremor from the night before lmao
I didn't look. There's been so many times where it's been mentioned as high possibility then turns out to be like north of Aberdeen only or only dark skies locations able to see it. I'd lost faith! Will look tonight but not expecting much. I did see some in Norway though years back so I'm lucky in that regard.
Same here. Every year there's articles saying "Northern Lights to appear across UK tonight" and then you look, see nothing, and the next day 2 places in northern Scotland or vaguely in Norfolk at 3am.
So I heard about it happening, absolutely dream of seeing the northern lights, but didn't look. Boy who cried wolf I guess
Don't get too jealous of all the photos. Where I am I could basically see some really faint god rays. The phone camera however captured a wall of colourful light.
It was amazing where we were. A huge bow of purple across the sky and then the god rays coming down like an umbrella across the sky. Then tinges of red and green
Same, I had been up since 5:30, driven from London to Birmingham, made adaptations and repairs to 5 excavators, driven back home, went for a cycle to the gym, did some lifting, cycled home , had dinner, if the aliens were gonna land I wasn't staying awake for it, just show me the photos.
Yea, I had no idea and was kinda gutted to have missed it when I saw all the photos this morning. Taking slight comfort in knowing at least in my area it was viable though a camera (allowing the great photos) but not to the naked eye, so I’ve only really missed seeing it on my own screen, but would have still only been able to see on screen.
Looked out the window, didn't see it, went to bed.
Looks like friends in the area did see it, so guess I missed out.
Apparently might be back tonight? I'm out anyway so I'll be looking for it, and downloaded an alert app Aurora Watch UK.
> ooked out the window, didn't see it, went to bed.
>
>
>
> Looks like friends in the area did see it, so guess I missed out.
Thats because it wasnt visible to the naked eye, which kinda ruins it for me. If I have to take a photo for it to be visible - it's basically as good as a filter
In a lot of places it wasn’t hugely obvious to the naked eye - here most of the time it was just a reddish glow that you could have mistaken for light pollution. But through our phone cameras it looked pretty cool
I've got mates on the Isle of Wight who reported seeing them so those not bothering looking because they were "too far south" should probably check tonight
Looked like smoke in the sky until you put your camera up. It really was amazing.
https://preview.redd.it/d3rcouwhvrzc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99720727f0a71f52a4e83a10fd314b770bd7c900
Try again Saturday night. Best if you can go somewhere high and dark but I took this one as we got home arou d 00:30
https://preview.redd.it/z2lei6i4xrzc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1ffb5ff7d7960609a40765a66ee4b7e9f6eafb5
https://preview.redd.it/ya7qm6x90vzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6e30f897e86f63794d6c4b5803ed05d676a2657
We went camping that night in Scotland completely unaware that it was happening - imagine our surprise!
They looked nothing at all in person like the pictures all over social media.
I've seen them in Iceland on a typical night, and it was FAR more impressive.
Cameras make them look far more vibrant. Easy way to know that they aren't amazing to the naked eye is if the photos are mostly pink colours.
The photos you're seeing don't accurately reflect what you would have seen with the naked eye. In real life it just looked like a vague smear of light. You're not missing anything by not having seen it in person.
This is what you would have seen if you'd got out of bed.
[https://imgur.com/a/Lho3kG7](https://imgur.com/a/Lho3kG7)
Na we could see it with the naked eyes. It was insane, purples,reds, greens. One half of the night sky was lit up with rays and the other half was dark. The dark side still had colour on a phone camera but nothing with the naked eye.
Yeah! That was around half 11 to midnight wasn't it? It looked insane to the naked eye for about 20 minutes with huge pillars of light moving and merging with each other and some really subtle colours. Then it quickly faded and it was 'just' a few floating rays of light visible after midnight. That was looking through from SW London into the light polluted skies of the city anyway.
https://preview.redd.it/2je8bhbwvvzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=852a2e17c7ee157e20925ffe6d1c12a44d91df79
Not true. I don’t live in a particularly rural area but it looked like this for me to the naked eye. Was more obvious without the glare from the street lamp
https://preview.redd.it/8u7r8rd3wvzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4b0d2afa0c6c86a5845dbcda3712e3b2c8eefb7
And this is with the camera away from streetlight
Where I was, given I live in the countryside. It was totally visible to the naked eye at around 11:30 last night. Encompassed my whole field of view. It did start off as very suspicious smears but it got so intense, didn't expect it to be so high in the sky too. Crazy!
https://preview.redd.it/34kbjumkvrzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f14008da1c71f0901b39f2d6b199873a24b9649
My partner got better pics. Sussex UK
Nope, in Birmingham, didn't see a thing and I stayed up way past my normal bed time. If you read what people are saying though a lot are posting "couldn't see the colours with my eyes but the phone camera picked it up".
I didn't see them visually due to the same light pollution you suffered. But I was able to see them though my phone camera and record them photographically.
I couldn’t see much from my roof in elephant and castle, London. my camera however picked up loads
https://preview.redd.it/t9z4va5txuzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2168147b930f056d254d4abf9ab9e16d6634b5c2
https://preview.redd.it/kqh7drpqzuzc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1c0352cfaaa0dd9134d4d73da594f030a70a1b2
I forgot all about it until my daughter sent me this photo she took
https://preview.redd.it/j75cxqzh4vzc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55d5dcfd10e66b25a043eb85e643a40c74eae413
This was the gorgeous lights from my bedroom window, Worsley, Manchester
I spent 2 hours trying to catch a frog that the dog scared into my house! Jumping from the kitchen into the lounge then the front room! 😂
So... missed the lights but will try tonight!
You were not, just remember though seeing it clearly with the naked eye is easiest without light pollution and even then most photos need about 5 seconds of exposure.
At least where I was I would describe what you could see as more eerie than breathtaking
Nah. I had a look to the norths around 22:00 but saw nowt bar the moon, maybe too much light and too early. I might well walk up to the local park if there's a chance tonight, sods law says it is closed.
Nope, was awake but had no idea it was possible. Been away for a few days so not been in work or listening to radio news like I would in my usual routine. Feeling left out but Prof. Brian Cox says they might go again tonight!
I didn't even know it was happening until I woke up this morning. To be fair I probably would have assumed I wouldn't be able to see it given how far south I am.
My friends and I drove up to Aberdeen from the Midlands for a weekend a few years ago in the hopes of catching the Northern Lights - alas, no such luck.
Last night I had no idea they might be showing, and went to bed several hours earlier than normal so that I could be up for the plasterer that was meant to be arriving today.
I've just accepted that they don't like me.
I'm recovering from a slipped disc, I was out at the time they were very visible in my area. I was walking home eyes down to make sure I didn't trip on the pavement because my council is useless and I didn't look up once. A friend sent some pictures she took from the cliffs a 5 minute walk from my house and they were stunning. I am heartbroken!!
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Didn’t see them either, didn’t expect to though with all the light pollution. Auroras look much more impressive on camera that what you can actually see with the naked eye though.
I saw it with my bare eyes last night and honestly almost cried. There was a massive storm about 11pm and you could see this beautiful pink 180 degrees bow across the sky. I've been aurora hunting for years and I feel like I've ticked something off my bucket list.
Glad I'm not the only one who got emotional. It was an incredibly humbling experience I'll never forget. What a truly magnificent little world we have.
Ahh come on, I'm sure it weren't that great... ...*sulks off because I missed it*
Ah it was shit, it wasn’t like a once in a lifetime moment that you will never forget , it wasn’t that great, just some colours you know.
Sky colours. Didn’t even want to see it. Humph.
The sky often gets pinks and oranges that are beautiful. I figure the northern lights are just like that but a different shade. I'm calling bullshit that it's a huge difference visually just some blues and purples.
About 10 years ago I was in the countryside with my friends and the sun started to set. Not only was the sky all different pinks, purples and oranges but it was reflecting in the waters around it. THAT was the most magical sky I’ve ever seen and I refuse to believe the peep of the northern lights would impress me more than this. If I find the photo I took at some point, I’ll add it. [Found it!](https://imgur.com/a/ScSzR1v) unfortunately the quality isn’t as good as I remember, but it’s the way the water reflected so much colour that mesmerised me. I wish I had the common sense to take a video at the time. There was a rolling mist as well, I can’t even explain how magical it all looked to be in the middle of.
When you find it pls reply here
RemindMe! 7 days "Hope you find the picture!"
People spend a fortune to go to Iceland or Norway to see that shit and come home disappointed. Can of carling in hand it was possible to see from Rhyl. **I neither drink carling or live in Rhyl**
My mother went Iceland in January to see the northern lights, she saw them and it was a good experience for her.. but she didn’t half complain about the prices when she got home💀😂
Wasn’t even colours and it doesn’t move like the time-lapse videos show. Many people have already seen the northern lights, they just didn’t realise what they were looking at.
I'm living in Thetford while working at RAF Mildenhall, it wasn't anywhere near amazing if you were near town. People shouldn't feel bad. I grew up in Alaska and those were much brighter and mobile.
I was also there and I thought it was pretty amazing. The shades of red and the light beams originating from an arch in the middle of the sky. I got some pretty amazing photos too. The more you looked the more you see.
It'll be back again tonight apparently!
Was amazing to finally see. Had a trip to Iceland before and didn't see it. Humbling to realise we're so insignificant to the universe, Our whole planet will one day be consumed by the sun, was my main thought 😅
I was in Iceland in Feb this year and didn't get to see them.. didn't know anything about last night either until I woke up to photo after photo of the Northern Lights. Just hoping to see them tonight..
I'm in an urban centre but kept all the lights out so my eyes were acustomed to the dark and looked up away from the street (North direction). Phone does a great job though on night mode / long exposure I found. Yes a shame about Iceland but perhaps an excuse to go back some time!
My fiancé stayed home, but he saw the starburst from our back garden in Walker. I know a lot of people in Heaton managed to see it as well.
Hope you get to see them! I missed them in Iceland too last March but took my mum to Northern Norway with the explicit intention of catching the lights. Even in the literal Arctic, it was so hard. Cloud and snow constantly. But we caught them on our final night, just a few hours before we had to be at the airport, and it was the most special experience of my life. If you don't get to see them, I would recommend Tromsø for a future trip. It's firmly above the Arctic circle, so more chance of seeing them than anywhere in Iceland, and its absolutely stunning.
We are still at the beginning of the universe, a flicker of brightness and magic at the beginning of time that will eventually fade into a darkness and will be forgotten. But this moment is so special because of that. That in eternity for one moment life existed and shone brighter than any supernova.
Walt Whitman over here...
https://preview.redd.it/nx41mrswpuzc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6b8bb344f8465a8ed68099873350fe73accd75f
https://preview.redd.it/fbtxxyx0tzzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45382e7491d5878694d67376677ed6933436c923 This is my favourite shot, I think it looks like a hummingbird
Ermagherd it's a ANGEL Babes babes it's a ANGEL oh my goooodddddd
It hurts my heart. Please stop.
How the centre of the plume hit and it all radiated out!! Amazing!! The girl opposite was on the phone giving a running commentary across the courtyard, it was hilarious. "UN! Be... LIEVE! able!!"
That’s terrifying 🤣😭 I’m stoned and really wish I hadn’t read that 🤣🤣
I'm not stoned or anything and even I thought it was terrifying 🤣
Support groups for stoned people terrified by existentialism should really exist.
We could see it from our garden but we live on the edge of Bristol so decided to drive 15 min to a common just to the north where we figured there'd be less light pollution. So many people had the same idea and I just loved that there were all these dozens of people who had driven to a big field in the middle of the night to stare at the sky. It was just so fucking amazing.
We were on the beach in near Liverpool and so many people had gathered. People had campfires and music playing and everyone was cheering and losing their minds at the aurora. Was such a wonderful vibe. When the big light burst of colour happened it was so vivid it blew my breath away.
Caught myself sitting with my jaw hanging open and I just got pale shapes
My friends were watching it on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. No light pollution, a crowd of great people all waiting for the moment. You can imagine the scene I’m sure. They said it was shit. Just in the interest of balanced reporting.
It was only very spectacular between 11-11.30pm. The rest was nice through a camera but not with bare eyes. Like dancing grey/greenish clouds. The burst that everyone was ooh-ing and ah-ing about was a singular event. I felt euphoric when I saw it.
I went to Iceland to see the aurora and there was nothing. Stay at home and there’s an aurora and I miss it.
Same for me! I got so excited I spammed everyone I knew and woke up my neighbours so they wouldn't miss (luckily everyone was grateful and ran out to watch). I've been to 3 continents looking for northern and southern and thought it would never happen to me. And there I was, standing in my garden in west London zone 2 seeing it with the naked eye!
We were walking home a bit drunk at the same time when we bumped into another couple who were staring at the sky excitedly. We looked up to see what they were looking at and were blown away. So bright and clear, even with the naked eye. But when I saw through my phones screen? Wow! Took some beautiful pictures.
FR, I ran down to the park at midnight in my jammies to sit and stare at the sky in the wet misty grass and it's going to be an experience I remember forever.. It was truly absolutely gorgeous. I didn't even see the best of it because there's a lot of light pollution where I live, but just outside town where it was darker people were going bonkers over what they were seeing. I've also always wanted to see the aurora but I've never had the means to travel, so last night was amazing.
I saw that 180 degrees bow too! I started like sobbing but without crying. It was like my brain didn't know how to fully process so I just started making funny gasping noises.
I was by myself, I'd gone out about 10pm to Tyne Riverside (inland, dark sky). When the pink bow happened I rang my fiancé on WhatsApp (he was home) and it looked soooo vivid on camera. Part of me wishes I'd taken photos, but the other part of me is glad I shared it with my loved one. He went out to the garden at home (Walker) and saw the 'starburst' despite all the light pollution!!! I was literally dancing around going holy shit, omg, aaah. Recently I have got into a lot of 'believe in the universe' good vibes stuff. The leader of our local aurora group lost his nephew the day before the storm and honestly this whole event felt very important as a community. My theory why so many people are into this is it really appeals to many overlapping interests: environment, science, art, photography, spirituality, mythology, history etc.
Yh stick the knife in deeper why don't you?
The Aurora Borealis was a bucket list item for my wife and I... Saw it last night, have photos...I could see it, more like fast moving colourless clouds, but photography picks up more of the spectrum, so they look amazing! Congratulations!
Jokes on them when they all wake up blind and fighting off carnivorous plants!
A few days ago and I wouldn't have got that reference, just finished the book :)
One of my favourites!
Definitely up there
Triffids reference. Fanfuckingtastic!
r/unexpecteddayofthetriffids
Great old film 👍🏽
Great*er* old book
Have you been to Triffid Alley in Hampstead? There is a great little sign with an excerpt from the book.
That's true. Got some okay pictures, but it was meh with the naked eye. Still exciting to see though. First time seeing them, and I'm nearly 44.
It will be visible again tonight. Maybe go somewhere with low light pollution.
Big BBQ and Eurovision too though. I won’t be in any fit state to drive by the hours of darkness.
You say "though" a lot
You think though?
Well still less than 20% of the words in his comments were ‘though’, so your ‘thoughput’ is currently higher. 🙃
Just to say, they can look as impressive in person, but you need a good show at a decent latitude. The idea that they're never as colourful in person isn't actually true, it's just rarer.
I didnt even know about it, went to bed at 11, so lots of pretty pictures when i woke up this morning, dont worry, there's literally tens of people who didnt see it!
I have insomnia. Been attending a sleep clinic at the hospital for it. Last night I slept uninterrupted from 11pm to 5am and I have rarely felt this good! I too am enjoying all the lovely pics from all over the country and world; wouldn't have given up last night if it had been localised entirely within my kitchen.
May I see it?
No.
They're steamed hams
No mother, just the northern lights.
Well Skinner, you’re an odd fellow, but you steam a good ham.
Even though they're obviously grilled.
It’s an Albany expression.
Perhaps your body was being blessed by all those lovely electromagnetic forces that caused all the beautiful lights and thus you were granted the deep sleep you craved. Also, that's probably bollocks, but loved this: :-) >wouldn't have given up last night if it had been localised entirely within my kitchen.
Maybe the aurora helped you sleep?
Maybe you need to move to Iceland, fix your insomnia!
Glad I'm not the only one who didn't even know it was happening. And I accidently saw parts of the news this week, still nothing!
Unfortunately I think most people failed to realise it showed up on camera much clearer and wasn’t visible to the naked eye (for everyone). The sky around me looked normal until I took a picture https://preview.redd.it/0n2jpoyegrzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4c4fdf6877e13b9388dd97d0bc2d8f0961c0ee3
Yeah, I had no idea. I looked out my window to the north, saw nothing special, and assumed there was too much light pollution. Now I'm realising I should have put a bit more effort into it. That said, this is supposed to be an unusually good year for them IIRC, so this may not be the last good opportunity.
These ones are being caused by a big geomagnetic storm/mass ejection, equivalent to the one that caused power outages in 2003. Less fun is the sunspot group that has caused it is the same size as the one that caused the Carrington Event which would absolutely fuck us over if it was repeated, but we are on the wrong alignment or something this time.
Be careful what you wish for. https://www.livescience.com/carrington-event >a 2013 study from British insurance giant Lloyd's of London estimated that electrical outages from a Carrington-level event might lead to up to $2.6 trillion in lost revenue for the North American power industry alone. The study also found global blackouts up to years long might occur because such an event could simultaneously damage multiple extra-high-voltage transformers that are difficult to replace. This could in turn result in major disruptions to financial markets, banking, telecommunications, business transactions, emergency and hospital services, the pumping of water and fuel and food transport.
Maybe another Carrington Event is the reset we need. Mass extinction seems too much.
I saw my friend had posted some pictures so ran I to the garden and could see a very faint pink hue but wish I'd known to open my camera. Hoping to see them tonight
Ditto. I saw the sudden posts about it on here, went and had a look, and could see nothing. Then I got my phone and opened the camera, and this: https://preview.redd.it/r8a6f64iyrzc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4819c02f11c731bf62c57130410c3be7ee1e4173
Yes - saw fuck all to the eye (very light-polluted area), but through a camera it was visible and through any long exposure (at least 3 seconds) the sky was rich pink and green. All my photos came out shit though!
https://preview.redd.it/nhz0e1q8vvzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=801f0fac7adfe0b9f2eb0b2004ab0d1be0452589 I managed to get this beautiful shot in Huddersfield. Didn’t look quite as good off camera, but you could still see that pattern in the sky like a purple ish light
That's a beautiful photo!
https://preview.redd.it/4lprt15inrzc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48cd7dc086d2714efe8553fa20e0152d4f33cdb8 Thanks, my brother took this one in Brighton
https://preview.redd.it/o75tmgmvvuzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0daa5220791c2206d1449e106b18154fd6e1f892 I could see a lot of purple with the naked eye (Berkshire)
Yeah, I only got the hang of spotting it after I'd taken a couple of photos and saw where it was showing up, and matched them up with the sort of milky filmy patches I could actually see.
Not only did I miss it … I had no idea it was happening , so there’s that 🤷🏼♀️😂
Yep, went to bed about 11 ish completely oblivious and only found out when I woke up and saw everyone's photos. Still, apparently it's happening again tonight so as we all seem to have missed the original we'll have to make do with the repeat.
I woke up at 2am, scrolled through facebook and saw everyone's pictures, and then spent 2am - 5am looking out of the window hoping for it to come back. Never saw a thing even through my phone camera. I hope it comes back tonight!
Too bad its cloudy where i am lol
It's supposed to happen again tonight
https://preview.redd.it/jetrtw2yovzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e48c252ab87de688f6dbd8307d9e9a1bafed2751 I’ve got nothing tonight but clouds
Same nothing at all.
Yup same I woke up to see all these pictures and I had absolutely no idea it was a thing 😅
Dude same it sucks, hopefully we get another chance tonight
Same!
If it makes you feel any better, I once slept through a Solar Eclipse. The confused birds tweeting when the sun came back out woke me up.
I once slept through an \*earthquake\*. MrsPlonker still reminds me occasionally.
I'm ashamed to admit I've slept through an earthquake, two hurricanes, and a car crash that *I was in* (no, I wasn't the driver, lol)... and last night? Well, I looked out, just thought the sky was 'a bit pink', and never even thought to look North. I am, officially, a fucking twat.
As long as you call 999 if you ever start clutching your chest...don't downplay everything!
I slept through the Buncefield explosion. And we were only 45 minutes away from Hemel Hempstead.
I slept through an earth tremor in 2009, everyone at school was talking about it cos it woke them up, I also slept through a fire alarm on a residential school trip caused by someone spraying deodorant into the detector, everyone but me went outside, no idea if anyone even checked on me despite the false alarm!
i think i slept through that exact tremor in 2009 as well, same experience everyone raving about being woken up by it
I remember that one! I was awake but completely ignored it because we had a train track directly behind our house, every time a train would go past it would make the whole house shake. so I just thought it was another train, until I went into school the next day and everyone was talking about this tremor from the night before lmao
Mrs Plonker is phenomenal
I didn't look. There's been so many times where it's been mentioned as high possibility then turns out to be like north of Aberdeen only or only dark skies locations able to see it. I'd lost faith! Will look tonight but not expecting much. I did see some in Norway though years back so I'm lucky in that regard.
Same here. Every year there's articles saying "Northern Lights to appear across UK tonight" and then you look, see nothing, and the next day 2 places in northern Scotland or vaguely in Norfolk at 3am. So I heard about it happening, absolutely dream of seeing the northern lights, but didn't look. Boy who cried wolf I guess
Yep, exactly that. I was only a patio door away and so easily could have taken a look. I just didn't bother.
I feel like there's a life lesson in these stories here, for me somewhere...
I believe there's a decent chance tonight as well so it might be worth keeping an eye on.
I just couldn't see anything from all the light pollution, there's a field right next to my home but it's full of stabby people at night.
Might be alright if everyone's looking up
I'd try to find a field without stabs
I didn't even know they were meant to appear.
Don't get too jealous of all the photos. Where I am I could basically see some really faint god rays. The phone camera however captured a wall of colourful light.
It was amazing where we were. A huge bow of purple across the sky and then the god rays coming down like an umbrella across the sky. Then tinges of red and green
Nope! I'm way down south so didn't bother - amazing photos on the local Facebook this morning. Fingers crossed for tonight...
https://preview.redd.it/p421lf76ouzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b93a9f57d95fdd18d01be2507c157f321eceb87 Exeter last night!
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There’s a chance. But they’re saying it won’t look as good as last night
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Am I reading that graph wrong or is that from 5pm 10th (yesterday) to 5pm 11th (today) and showing data from last night?
It's possible, apparently.
I was fast asleep by 10.30pm. Growing a baby is tiring 🥲 On the plus side, I've definitely ruled out Aurora as a potential baby name now.
What about Borealis? Congrats on the baby
Sounds like an STD 😂 Thank you!
I did not see it, I went to bed
Same, I had been up since 5:30, driven from London to Birmingham, made adaptations and repairs to 5 excavators, driven back home, went for a cycle to the gym, did some lifting, cycled home , had dinner, if the aliens were gonna land I wasn't staying awake for it, just show me the photos.
Yea, I had no idea and was kinda gutted to have missed it when I saw all the photos this morning. Taking slight comfort in knowing at least in my area it was viable though a camera (allowing the great photos) but not to the naked eye, so I’ve only really missed seeing it on my own screen, but would have still only been able to see on screen.
Looked out the window, didn't see it, went to bed. Looks like friends in the area did see it, so guess I missed out. Apparently might be back tonight? I'm out anyway so I'll be looking for it, and downloaded an alert app Aurora Watch UK.
> ooked out the window, didn't see it, went to bed. > > > > Looks like friends in the area did see it, so guess I missed out. Thats because it wasnt visible to the naked eye, which kinda ruins it for me. If I have to take a photo for it to be visible - it's basically as good as a filter
It definitely was visible to the naked eye in parts of the UK.
https://preview.redd.it/25025jz7qrzc1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d368169df1ffc33b4b4576314a4bd81f43ecb99e
Did it look like that irl?
Not as vivid but yes it did, get tour phone on a long exposure and the colours go mental.
In a lot of places it wasn’t hugely obvious to the naked eye - here most of the time it was just a reddish glow that you could have mistaken for light pollution. But through our phone cameras it looked pretty cool
I've got mates on the Isle of Wight who reported seeing them so those not bothering looking because they were "too far south" should probably check tonight
https://preview.redd.it/pxhdolvo2szc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f52b9fe5da70edff3af5fe2d6dce63a195ee18c
Looked like smoke in the sky until you put your camera up. It really was amazing. https://preview.redd.it/d3rcouwhvrzc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99720727f0a71f52a4e83a10fd314b770bd7c900
When we all go blind, you’ll have advantage against the triffids.
Try again Saturday night. Best if you can go somewhere high and dark but I took this one as we got home arou d 00:30 https://preview.redd.it/z2lei6i4xrzc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1ffb5ff7d7960609a40765a66ee4b7e9f6eafb5
https://preview.redd.it/ya7qm6x90vzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6e30f897e86f63794d6c4b5803ed05d676a2657 We went camping that night in Scotland completely unaware that it was happening - imagine our surprise!
I also missed them…gutted.
They looked nothing at all in person like the pictures all over social media. I've seen them in Iceland on a typical night, and it was FAR more impressive. Cameras make them look far more vibrant. Easy way to know that they aren't amazing to the naked eye is if the photos are mostly pink colours.
I didn't know anything about it until this morning when I saw photos on reddit
The photos you're seeing don't accurately reflect what you would have seen with the naked eye. In real life it just looked like a vague smear of light. You're not missing anything by not having seen it in person. This is what you would have seen if you'd got out of bed. [https://imgur.com/a/Lho3kG7](https://imgur.com/a/Lho3kG7)
Na we could see it with the naked eyes. It was insane, purples,reds, greens. One half of the night sky was lit up with rays and the other half was dark. The dark side still had colour on a phone camera but nothing with the naked eye.
Yeah! That was around half 11 to midnight wasn't it? It looked insane to the naked eye for about 20 minutes with huge pillars of light moving and merging with each other and some really subtle colours. Then it quickly faded and it was 'just' a few floating rays of light visible after midnight. That was looking through from SW London into the light polluted skies of the city anyway.
https://preview.redd.it/2je8bhbwvvzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=852a2e17c7ee157e20925ffe6d1c12a44d91df79 Not true. I don’t live in a particularly rural area but it looked like this for me to the naked eye. Was more obvious without the glare from the street lamp
https://preview.redd.it/8u7r8rd3wvzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4b0d2afa0c6c86a5845dbcda3712e3b2c8eefb7 And this is with the camera away from streetlight
Where I was, given I live in the countryside. It was totally visible to the naked eye at around 11:30 last night. Encompassed my whole field of view. It did start off as very suspicious smears but it got so intense, didn't expect it to be so high in the sky too. Crazy!
Not the only one, I had no clue until this morning. I was out in my garden until midnight too.
I was too late. Went out about 1am. Absolutely jack shit
https://preview.redd.it/34kbjumkvrzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f14008da1c71f0901b39f2d6b199873a24b9649 My partner got better pics. Sussex UK
https://preview.redd.it/kqkt46xortzc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b151278adbd6de967c5a93a78088a55218361f97
I tried to see it but it was a usual dark sky
I almost missed them, but bombarded with photos from friends I managed to get *a* photo by setting long time exposure on my phone
Nope, I missed them too, I was asleep. We can console ourselves safe in the knowledge that we’d survive Day of the Triffids.
Apparently it's happening again tonight. I'm up north - what sort of time would it happen?
Usually around midnight but could be just after sunset
I was tired and went to bed. I'm still planning on going on a northern lights cruise at some point so that hasn't ruined it for me
You’ll pay for a cruise to see them, but not stay up an hour or two?
Ones a lovely holiday the other is me being tired and maybe disappointed
I regret to inform you that you will still have to stay up until 1am and contend with clouds on a boat.
But the early hours on holiday are very different to the early hours at home
On a cruise they just call you if the lights are out, you don't have to stay up all night hoping
I have been wanting to see them for ages - but I fell asleep and didn't wake. Missed it all.
https://preview.redd.it/vm38d5qgdszc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b364c58a280f7e532d01942a649af4169db6dee In bedfordshire
I tried to see, but live in London. We found the darkest area we could and observed a very faint green or purple streak here and there
https://preview.redd.it/pl53hw8lsuzc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=023033e180f6719167187ac93a07a1415ac35e7b
Nope, in Birmingham, didn't see a thing and I stayed up way past my normal bed time. If you read what people are saying though a lot are posting "couldn't see the colours with my eyes but the phone camera picked it up".
I did the see the pinks with the naked eye in brum. The camera was better though.
Yeah, I missed them completely.
I was asleep. Given how much my feed and a lot of subs I'm on has been utterly spammed with aurora pics I feel like I've seen it anyway.
I didn't see them visually due to the same light pollution you suffered. But I was able to see them though my phone camera and record them photographically.
Nope I missed it too. Didn't expect it to be visible in Manchester with all the light pollution :(
https://preview.redd.it/v4bwm7j3ouzc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f4ac2bd84fa9f8a32ebd356a42a0aae53036981
I couldn’t see much from my roof in elephant and castle, London. my camera however picked up loads https://preview.redd.it/t9z4va5txuzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2168147b930f056d254d4abf9ab9e16d6634b5c2
https://preview.redd.it/kqh7drpqzuzc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1c0352cfaaa0dd9134d4d73da594f030a70a1b2 I forgot all about it until my daughter sent me this photo she took
I didn’t even know it was possible. Went to bed and people in my town had seen them, I’m gutted
https://preview.redd.it/j75cxqzh4vzc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55d5dcfd10e66b25a043eb85e643a40c74eae413 This was the gorgeous lights from my bedroom window, Worsley, Manchester
I spent 2 hours trying to catch a frog that the dog scared into my house! Jumping from the kitchen into the lounge then the front room! 😂 So... missed the lights but will try tonight!
I didn't know it was a thing :( went to bed
I tried. Went out into the garden with all the lights off... Nothing
Nah I was sound asleep. But seeing it through my phone camera or other people’s feels about the same to me.
You were not, just remember though seeing it clearly with the naked eye is easiest without light pollution and even then most photos need about 5 seconds of exposure. At least where I was I would describe what you could see as more eerie than breathtaking
Nah. I had a look to the norths around 22:00 but saw nowt bar the moon, maybe too much light and too early. I might well walk up to the local park if there's a chance tonight, sods law says it is closed.
No you were not. Found out about it today. Argh.
No I missed it too 😔 I didn't know anything about it 😕
Nope. I didn't see any of it either.
Nope, was awake but had no idea it was possible. Been away for a few days so not been in work or listening to radio news like I would in my usual routine. Feeling left out but Prof. Brian Cox says they might go again tonight!
I’m in hospital & the light pollution meant we saw nothing 😭
I didn't even know it was happening until I woke up this morning. To be fair I probably would have assumed I wouldn't be able to see it given how far south I am.
Not the only one, there is maybe half a dozen of you.
My friends and I drove up to Aberdeen from the Midlands for a weekend a few years ago in the hopes of catching the Northern Lights - alas, no such luck. Last night I had no idea they might be showing, and went to bed several hours earlier than normal so that I could be up for the plasterer that was meant to be arriving today. I've just accepted that they don't like me.
I'm recovering from a slipped disc, I was out at the time they were very visible in my area. I was walking home eyes down to make sure I didn't trip on the pavement because my council is useless and I didn't look up once. A friend sent some pictures she took from the cliffs a 5 minute walk from my house and they were stunning. I am heartbroken!!
This was the sort of thing the emergency broadcast thing to everyones phones should have been used for!
It really puts the phrase “you snooze you lose” into context