Aurora Borealis

[susanmt]

I don't know if any of the rest of you life (a) far enough north or (b) in a dark enough place or (c) anywhere it is going to be clear tonight but for the last 2 nights we have spent at least an hour outside looking at the Northern Lights. Apparantly we are in the middle of one of the biggest 'sunstorms' for years and the effect has been amazing displays, with tonight supposed to be the best. We've seen the whole sky lit up with white, green and red bands of light flickering from horizon to horizon, and it has certainly been visible as far south as central Scotland where my parents who live just outside Perth saw them on Wednesday night.
Just thought I would let you know in case anyone gets a chance to have a look - it is one of the most impressive and beautiful things we have ever seen - we even woke dd up at 10pm (she's almost 4) to see it and she has been going on about it ever since. Worth a look.

Sounds beautiful and my dd's name is Aurora

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I would love to see it, I know they have seen it in the States too. I expect Dorset is a bit too far south though

Dorset is not too far south; they have been seeing it as far south as Texas (that's further south than Spain!) in the USA.

Too cloudy here, though.

As I live way up north in a tiny Scottish Island I too saw them the other night, it was fantastic. Sometimes I hate living way up here but other times (like the other night) I thank my lucky stars (very poor pun, sorry!)

Lilismum, I didn't kow there was another Mumsnetter who lived on a tiny Scottish Island. We're in the Outer Hebrides (Harris) - are you a Western or Northern Islander?

Northern Island, Shetland. Funnily enough coming from a tiny Island I've always wanted to go to the Western Isles, I hear they are beautiful. Have you always lived there? I've always been here and I love it most of the time but sometimes I wish I was on the mainland.

No, I was born in Perth and dh is from Belfast. We met in Edinburgh and he came here for a month while he was a medical student, not long before we got married. Then in 1996 I was unemployed, he was looking for the next 6-month job, there was one here and we thought 'what the heck, its just 6 months .....' and here we are 7+ years later, with a house and children and we LOVE it. It is a bit of a change from Edinburgh and we are only 2.5 hours on the ferry to the mainland, a bit different to Shetland, but I wouldn't want to move back. This is one of those places where no-one locks their doors - in fact, when we moved in here, the folk who were selling the house couldn't find the front door key and the back door didn't even have a lock! Its gorgeous here, we live in amongst the Harris hills, about a hundred yards from the sea, and we are in a sheltered spot so we have loads of trees round us (I hear trees are only a rumour in Shetland .....). I'd love to visit Orkney and SHetland one day, funny enough. I think when you live on an Island, other Islands become even more fascinating!

Thanks for this susanmt - I live near Aberdeen (in the country) and we should be able to see it. I was out last night to a halloween party and didn't notice anything but wasn't really looking, beautiful moon though

Ooh, I might try and look, we have no houses or streetlights near us so it gets VERY dark (not so nice on Halloween when dp is away ) but I might try and look tonight. Thanks for the tip!

We're near Aberdeen too, but it was blummin' well raining last night!! We did see an aurora a couple of weeks ago, on the way back from Inverness, the searchlight type.

Susanmt, Harris sounds lovely, much more lush than Shetland (you're right there aren't many trees here, they were all cut down years and years ago to make way for sheep!). Shetland is a bueatiful island in some ways, there are some really nice beaches but some parts are very bleak. There isn't just a lot to do, if you're into birds/otters/seals that kind of thing then it is great but there's not many decent shops and only 2 nightclubs (nightclubs in the very loosest of terms!). It is great for children though, no worries in letting them play outside or anything. I've lived here my whole life and have many good friends, 2 whom I have grown up with since I was a tiny baby. I wouldn't move away, I've been to cities before but always feel like a real yocal, the noise of the cars and the amount of people tire me out. But I guess its just what you are used too.