can you see the northern lights in the Orkney Islands?
152221
I am sure you can. In some times of extreme solar activity, the Aurora Borealis are visible as far south as Southern Italy. Given the location of the Orkney Islands much further north, near Scotland, then viewing the aurorae there should be very common.\n\nI have enclosed a link to a report by a group of amateur astronomers to the Orkney Islands in an attempt to view the Aurora Borealis there (it was cloudy so they didn't see them).\n\nA second reference is a tourist site for the Orkney Islands which advertises that the aurorae are readily visible in the Orkney Islands, especially during the fall.
144230
Definitely! If you know where to look you can see them with the naked eye. Take your scope out in the darkest area you can find.I.E, the country. The easiest ones to find are spirals. They may look a little fuzzy but you should be able to see the spiral.
661394
it occurs when solar radiation from the sun interacts with the magnetic field around the Earth (its strongest around the poles..so thats why theres a northern..AND southern lights...and no "Middle" lights lol)\n\ni can't wait to see it some day
205622
The aurora borealis  or northern lights is caused by electrons of typical energy colliding with atoms in the upper atmosphere. It generally occurs within a radius of 2500 km of the magnetic north pole. Aurora australis is its equivalent in the southern hemisphere occurring within a similar distance of the south magnetic pole. Ocassionally, the phenomenon can occur in temperate zones during a strong magnetic storm.It occurs most often in September/October and March/April.
85758
It is the 14th of March 2006 and if you are in the US, you should be able to see it at moonrise- good image below of a map of the visibility ranges
817297
Northern Lights. It was breathtaking.
346576
Nope. \nThere is some evidence that people can sense the magnetic field of the earth and tell which way magnetic north is. But as for true north no one can do that without knowing the magnetic variation for the location they are at.\nWell if you know the time of year and about where you are you could tell true north from the stars but that would be about the same as knowing the magnetic variation for your location.
123285
It is NOT dark 6 months of the year in all of Alaska! We live in Anchorage and we get about six hours of daylight on the shortest day of the year (in December) and virtually 24 hours of daylight in the summer.\n\nIf you go further North, however, there will be less daylight during the winter and some parts have complete darkness for a few months in the winter (I think around three months or so), but then in the summer, the sun never sets for those folks in the far North for several months.
154703
white b/c you're at the north pole
931600
Watch the stars outside if it's a clear night
232376
doubtfully\n\n Hundreds of scientists and tourists were making final preparations Friday to become the first people ever to see a total solar eclipse in Antarctica.\n\nAbout 100 people have boarded a former Soviet ice-breaker to see the only total solar eclipse of the year while two Qantas 747 planes will carry scientists and researchers to the spot. \n\nThe moon will mask the sun completely at 22:49 GMT on Nov. 23 over a bleak spot in Antarctica, halfway between South Africa and New Zealand. The phenomenon will only be visible from a narrow stretch of Antarctica and the adjacent ocean
391923
the northern lights are due to charged particles from the sun interacting with the earths magnetic field, causing the atmeosphere to give of visible light.
166889
I live in a small town in the midwest and make it a point to go out and do some stargazing.  The street lights do wash out some of the dimmer stars, but there are still a lot of stars to see.  Going out into the countryside will reveal a lot more stars.  Not only the stars though, in the last week I have also seen Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury..and the most fantastic cresent moon in the early morning.  If a person can get up into the mountains at night (no mountains where I am at), the sky is very full of stars...way too cool.
753503
good lord, they're being switched on on 9th November?! thats criminal! who's doing it? some has been/never going to be boyband no doubt\n\naw i'm only jealous cos i moved up north and cant do and see the lights any more :(
245392
March 20 2015\n\nA total eclipse will be visible in the vicinity of the British Isles in the morning; it will be visible from the Faroes, but not from the UK. The path crosses between Scotland and Iceland, over the Faroe islands, and into the Arctic. A 90% partial eclipse will be seen in north-west Scotland.
947564
Just 'google' sleigh rides uk and see what comes up! may depend on snow etc.\nHave you thought about a trip to Lapland? It's not that expensive and could be a really romantic trip!
768063
North western sky.? In the USA.? Me and my work mate saw two bright lights in the western sky at 8pm off the coast of western australia. About 2 hours ago. They looked like fireballs and went horizontally then went out of sight. It lasted for about 20 seconds.