How to spot the Northern Lights this weekend

The aurora borealis can turn the night sky pink, purple, blue and green

People across the UK may be treated to a spectacularly colourful display this weekend, as the aurora borealis are expected to light up the night sky.

The Northern Lights, as they're otherwise known, will be most easily spotted in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England, but people living further South may be able to see them too.

The Met Office said: “Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora sightings further south, across central England.”

It's happening because there is intense activity on the Sun right now.

Let us know in the comments if you try to spot them OR if you've seen them before...

Nasa released this image of the recent solar activity

The space weather team explained how it works to BBC Newsround: “In the past few days our Sun has been particularly active.

"Although there is no risk to us (humans) directly because we are protected by Earth’s magnetic field, we may see the effects of this increased activity this weekend in the form of aurora.

"Aurora are caused when the Sun’s energy and particles interact with the gases in our atmosphere.

"This typically happens around the polar regions and can result in vibrant colours of blue, purple, green and red being seen in the sky."

How can I see the Northern Lights?

The further North you are, the more likely you'll be able to see them

In order to see the multicolour light show, you'll have to wait until quite late at night, usually from 11pm onwards - so make sure to ask a parent or guardian if you can stay up!

You want the sky to be as clear as possible - if there's clouds, it may obscure your view.

The further away you can be from artificial lights the better, as light pollution can also make the Northern Lights more difficult to spot.

And, as the name suggests, you should face North when trying to look for them.

Let us know in the comments if you try to spot them OR if you've seen them before...