Why have northern lights been sighted more frequently in recent years?

The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights is a mystical and shimmering phenomenon that occasionally lights up our skies.

It can be seen near the poles of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, being Aurora Borealis in the north and Aurora Australis in the south.

The phenomenon is caused by electrically charged particles from the sun that travel millions of kilometers becoming trapped in the Earth's magnetic field.

These particles accelerate toward the north and south poles into the atmosphere, essentially heating themselves up and creating the effect.

Additionally, the different colors in the atmosphere are caused by the combustion of different gases as part of this process, with green being characteristic of oxygen, while hints of purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen, reports Royal Museums Greenwich.

Sightings of the Aurora Borealis appear to be becoming more common in recent years and have been seen as far away as counties in the south of England.

But what is the cause of all this?

Why have Aurora Borealis sightings increased this year?

In short, Aurora Borealis sightings have increased in recent years and the explanation is well known in the scientific community, according to the Met Office.

Krista Hammond, manager at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Center (MOSWOC), said: “Activity on the Sun, and in particular the number of visible sunspots, fluctuates over a period of around 11 years, known as the solar cycle.”

The last solar minimum, at which the Sun had the lowest frequency of visible sunspots in the solar cycle, occurred in December 2019.

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This means that the Sun's activity is currently increasing and the next solar maximum is expected around 2025.

As a result, more of the sun's electrically charged particles migrate to Earth and get stuck in its magnetic field, increasing the auroral effect.

Krista added: “In the coming years, as we approach solar maximum, we can expect an increase in the frequency of space weather events, with greater chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis over the UK.”