Northern Lights: South Downs named as the best place to see the aurora borealis in Hampshire - with six key dates revealed
The South Downs National Park has been identified as the best place to witness aurora borealis in Hampshire– with six key dates revealed.
The Northern Lights – or aurora borealis – are caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The colours occur due to different gases in the Earth's atmosphere being energised by the charged particles.
In May last year, Hampshire residents were in for a real treat with a fantastic show of Northern Lights seen across the county.
The team at Independent Cottages have now created a 'Northern Lights Calculator' that ‘makes it easier for Brits’ to know when they're ‘most likely to see the phenomenon’. The UK holiday provider has analysed more than 30 years worth of geomagnetic data to find which dates of the year ‘offer the best likelihood’ of spotting the aurora borealis.
A spokesperson for the research team said: “2025 is expected to be one of the best aurora seasons again, according to research, as the current solar maximum (when the sun is most active) continues for a few more years before waning in its eleven-year cycle.
"This surge in visibility has sparked massive interest – searches for ‘Met Office Northern Lights alert’ have increased by 5,000 per cent in the UK over the last year and ‘Aurora Borealis UK’ by 150 per cent over the same period.
"To help Brits looking to catch a glimpse on home soil, Independent Cottages has considered the best places in the UK to see the phenomenon – National Parks. Given their minimal light pollution and remote locations, there is no better place to spot the lights in all of their glory (when weather conditions are optimal, of course!)"
Independent Cottages said Brits can ‘simply choose a day of the year’ and their favourite National Park, and be ‘given a likelihood’ of seeing the Northern Lights on that specific date.
The research found that November 7 is the ‘best day of the year to be in with a chance’ of seeing the Northern Lights in the UK.
"On this date, there has been Northern Lights activity across all 15 national parks during the last three decades, giving it an average likelihood of 25.56 per cent witnessing its appearance,” the spokesperson added.
The best day of the year to see the Northern Lights in each UK national park was broken down. This revealed that, in the South Downs, the dates which present the best opportunity are September 17 & 25; October 2 & 22, and November 7 & 8.
“Seeing the Northern Lights in the UK requires far more than just high geomagnetic activity – it’s all about timing and luck with the weather,” the research team added.
“The Northern Lights in the UK are heavily seasonal, with your best viewing window stretching from September through March when nights are properly dark.
“You’re also completely dependent on clear skies – and we all know how unpredictable British weather can be. You could have the most promising geomagnetic forecast, but thick cloud cover will totally ruin any chance of spotting the aurora!
“Location also matters enormously, so you’ll need to avoid light pollution as much as possible by going to remote areas like National Parks or Dark Sky Sites.
“Clearly, it can be tricky to spot the Northern Lights in the UK - and this is exactly why Independent Cottages' percentage likelihoods represent geomagnetic activity potential rather than guaranteed sightings.”