How you can see and photograph the Northern Lights

Astro Dog captured the lights glowing green over Whitby Abbey

For many people, a real sign that we have entered autumn came earlier this month when the Northern Lights were spotted across the UK for the first time in the season.

The aurora dazzles when it can be viewed, sometimes - as in the case this September - with stunning displays visible across most of the country, from Scotland and Wales down to Kent.

Plenty of fans of the lights head out in the wilds of the UK to take photos, armed with the latest equipment - but could we just stay at home and see them and snap a photo on our phones?

Well first of all, in the right circumstances, it is possible to see the Northern Lights from your bedroom window, according to expert Dr Maria-Theresia Walach.

She once saw the aurora by eye from Lancaster city centre in red, green and purple but admitted it was "a rare occurrence".

The Lake District was on a list of places recommended to see the lights by BBC Countryfile

Dr Walach, who is from Lancaster University and is also a member of the AuroraWatch UK team, said it was possible in general to see the aurora in cities and towns - but it depended on cloud and light pollution, which could even include the moon.

It was possible you could see them from your bedroom window, she added.

"If we are in a geomagnetic storm for example, you definitely can," she said.

"Windows won't obscure the light of the aurora but, depending on street lights, it might be trickier."

Asked if aurora hunters needed to find a high place to watch the skies, Dr Walach said: "No, not at all."

Being high up just helps because it is possible to see further, she added.

The further north you are also helps, she says. Scandinavia and northern Scotland remain the best places to see the Northern Lights.

To know when the northern lights are likely to be visible in the night skies this autumn and winter, the advice first of all from the BBC's lead weather presenter, Simon King, is to keep a check on forecasts

Wait for enhanced solar activity and check the weather, because the lights will not be visible in a cloudy sky, he added.

This year is forecast to be a good one to see them because we are at a peak in the Sun's 11-year cycle of activity which is continuing in 2025.

Nicole Carr and Simon Scott, from Astro Dog, a firm which runs stargazing, photography and education events, said people who were able to travel could use weather radar apps to find gaps in the cloud.

"Perseverance can pay on cloudy nights," they said. "You never know if there may be gaps in the clouds at just the right moment."

They said they have sat in the cold and dark for hundreds of nights without seeing anything but "when you do get lucky and catch a display, it makes it all the more special".

Simon Scott and Nicole Carr, from Astro Dog, said perseverance could pay off to see the lights

If you want to actively go out and find a good spot to view and photograph the lights, we have spoken to some of the country's aurora hunters.

Ian Parkes, from Wombourne, Staffordshire, said he first of all checks social media for graphs on when solar flares will hit - and then looks at one of the three free mobile apps he uses – Aurora Watch UK, Glendale and Aurora UK.

He usually visits Sheep Walks in Staffordshire and takes a DSLR camera with a tripod and remote but added that anyone could take images with a phone.

The key, he said, was always to look north and remember that the aurora could be quite low, adding that it often looks black and white - or like a cloud.

"It's a wow moment, especially the first time you see it, it's just amazing," he said. "It's just being at one with nature."

Mr Parkes said he had seen the lights seven times in two years, adding: "Every time I've gone out, I've seen it."

Ian Parkes said he had seen the Northern Lights every time he had gone out looking for them

If you want to know if you are near a good place in the UK to see the aurora or somewhere to head to, BBC Countryfile drew up a list in September of the best sites in the country to see them.

They included the UK's official Dark Sky Reserves - areas where light pollution is particularly low - and among them are:

• The Brecon Beacons

• Cranborne Chase in southern England

• Snowdonia

• Exmoor

• Moore's Reserve in the South Downs

• North York Moors National Park

• Yorkshire Dales National Park

Hot spots also included the Northumberland coast, Lerwick on Shetland, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland.

They have also been seen in many locations across the Midlands including in Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Josh Drury said a good solar storm was needed with clear skies

Dr Walach suggested in the main that people should seek out a darker area in the countryside, turn off torches and allow time for their eyes to adjust.

"It can take around 10 minutes or more for your eyes to fully adjust to darker spaces," she said.

"The aurora also moves around the sky a lot, so I also recommend a warm coat and a hot chocolate."

Nottingham photographer Chris Denning gets his aurora forecasts from Facebook where the Wil's Aurora Alerts channel gives as much advance warning as possible.

He advised people though to manage their expectations because many aurora events were only visible by camera.

The most important thing was to "enjoy the chase", he said, adding: "Sometimes you'll win and sometimes you won't, but that's half the fun."

Chris Denning captured a shot of the aurora over the University of Nottingham's Trent Building

James Rowley-Hill, in Norfolk, recommended coastal areas and fields in the middle of nowhere, to escape strong light pollution.

He said "expectation vs reality" is the biggest problem, adding: "Many folks think this is the normal, when it really isn't."

While for Josh Drury, a photographer based in Somerset, catching an aurora often depended on forecasting.

"You need a good storm. You need clear skies," he said.

"When we have an aurora kicking off, you have to drop absolutely everything and go out and try to catch it.

"A lot of it is pot luck."

James Rowley-Hill recommended coastal areas and fields in the middle of nowhere

Auroras have been seen further south recently, including in the Cotswolds