More Northern Lights 'possible' tonight as Auroa Borealis to light up Munster skies again - Cork Beo

Use this tracker to see if you'll get a show

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It looks like half of Cork and Ireland were standing out in a field or on a hilltop last night, looking out for the Northern Lights and getting the kind of show they will never forget.

The good news today is that we could get a repeat performance tonight as the last effects of a huge Solar storm are seen in our upper atmosphere. It's unlikely to be as epic as it was last night, but if you want to keep the kids up a little late, get a bit away from light pollution (just outside the city should be fine) and look skywards, you could well see the Aurora Borealis shimmering above you.

Read More: In pictures: Rebels share snaps as Northern Lights dye Cork skies every colour of the rainbow

The latest update from the popular Aurora Alerts Ireland channel is that yes, there is a good possibility of further lights tonight. There is a global tracker for the lights which could also help you see them - you can access that here.

What we are currently experiencing - and the reason why the lights are visible so far south and so strongly - is the biggest Solar Flare event in a quarter-century or so, with the sun sending out huge waves of magnetic energy. So you can tell the kids that what they are seeing are storm waves from the surface of the sun

NASA says Auroras are brilliant ribbons of light weaving across Earth's northern or southern polar regions. These natural light shows are caused by magnetic storms that have been triggered by solar activity, such as solar flares (explosions on the Sun) or coronal mass ejections (ejected gas bubbles). Energetic charged particles from these events are carried from the Sun by the solar wind.

When these particles seep through Earth's magnetosphere, they cause substorms. Then fast moving particles crash into our thin, high atmosphere, colliding with Earth's oxygen and nitrogen particles. As these air particles shed the energy they picked up from the collision, each atom starts to glow in a different color.

Your best bet tonight is to find a place away from strong light sources, shortly after dark and wait to see if we can catch the last waves of these solar storms.