Watching the beautiful northern lights is a dream of many people and they commit years chasing the astronomical occurrence.
Last week, this dream came true for residents of Scotland as they witnessed bright northern lights, also known as Aurora Boreas.
Named after the Roman goddess of dawn (Aurora) and Roman god of the north wind (Boreas), this phenomenon occurs when solar particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere and emit colourful radiation lights, mostly at the north and south pole where our planet’s magnetic field is the strongest. While the lights can appear any time of the year, they are frequently sighted during September, October, March, and April.
When one thinks of witnessing the northern lights, destinations such as Alaska, Arctic, Sweden, and Finland come to one’s mind and one rarely thinks of Scotland. However, as per VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation for Scotland, the country lies at the same latitude as many prime northern light locations in Norway and Alaska.
After last week’s northern light sighting, Twitter was filled up with stunning pictures of Aurora Boreas.
Aurora 13/3/22 at Tralair Macduff Scotland amazing ! Photo Reg Conon pic.twitter.com/GeSKFut1hU
— lunanbaybeach (@lunanbaybeach) March 14, 2022
Mind. Completely. Blown.
After 37 years of hunting, chasing and squinting, I finally get to have my own Northern Lights pictures!
No squinting or fancy equipment required! #NorthernLights #Auroraborealis #nofilter #iphone #scotland #cromarty #bucketlist pic.twitter.com/IsccKzQ4dn
— Neens (@Neens233) March 14, 2022
“there’s nothing to do in the Highlands”
Oh yeah? What about watching the northern lights dance right outside your window.
Scotland is fuckin ace. pic.twitter.com/6YAF0WOcxO
— Sav //🌻// (@Savage_Lifex) March 14, 2022
People posting their northern lights photos from Scotland got me like pic.twitter.com/RqGM0eyvqr
— Florence of Northumbria 🌻 (@FlorenceHRScott) March 14, 2022
Did you see the northern lights #aurora last night?
Some northern areas were treated to a stunning display
They will be visible again tonight in N Scotland but not as strong or as far south #LookUp pic.twitter.com/9CWSBIwAem
— Laura Tobin (@Lauratobin1) March 14, 2022
Showing my eldest one of the best shows on earth , the Northern Lights above our home in Culloden last night 13/3/22 . 🏴 @metoffice @WeatherWatchUkk #Aurora #NorthernLights #Auroraborealis #Scotland #Highlands pic.twitter.com/tgdltceMpB
— Mark MacDonald (@macdonaldr1) March 14, 2022
Aurora timelapse from last night at WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, Spey Bay, Moray, Scotland. pic.twitter.com/kiRSM8hYnD
— Mountains of Scotland (@mtnsofscotland) March 14, 2022
Never seen anything quite like last night before🤩💫 #northernlights #aurora #Auroraborealis #scotland pic.twitter.com/jtOpwBwxjf
— Sarah Fiske (@FiskeSsarah) March 14, 2022
My first Overhead aurora In northern Scotland this evening. What a showing eventually in Portskerra, sutherland @cogie_s @chunder10 @NightLights_AM @TamithaSkov @BBCScotWeather pic.twitter.com/ZcLhjU2u8c
— Andy Cole (@mracole1977) March 14, 2022
In December 2020, photographer Nate Luebbe’s videos of the northern lights went viral. Luebbe travelled to Fairbanks in Alaska, where he attached a camera to a weather balloon and launched it into the stratosphere. The result was a mesmerising view of the dark green natural light spectacle.
Like Japan’s ‘snow monsters’, northern lights are a natural phenomenon that attracts tourists from all over the world.
