Being in the right place at the right time

Use social media to your advantage to have a better chance of viewing NLCs

NLCs can’t be predicted very accurately in advance, but you can improve your chances of seeing them by using social media; many observers post “NLC visible now!” alerts on Facebook and Twitter when a display occurs, so if you follow these then you’ll know when to head out – and won’t be sitting on the sofa unaware that the northern sky behind your house is shining with beautiful glowing clouds.

1 Check online for activity

Checking websites and social media platforms for alerts or reports of activity from NLC observers before heading out can save you wasting time and petrol.

2 Use targets as your reference

The bright yellow-white star Capella will show you where to start looking in the sky for NLC. Most NLC displays appear under or around this well-known star.

3 Know what to look for

NLC can shine with different colours. Be on the lookout for simple arcs or wisps of gold or more complex swirls and whirls of electric blue, often silhouetting clouds lower in the atmosphere.

4 Be prepared for brightening and fading

If a display dies down don’t give up – it might brighten. Many of the largest displays fade away part way through before coming back.

5 Upgrade to binoculars

Binoculars will show you beautiful detail inside NLC – whirls, whorls and swirls, crosshatch patterns and long, sinuous lines of smoky cloud, shining shades of violet and electric blue.

6 Try taking photos

A digital SLR on a steady tripod can capture great images of NLC. Set a high ISO and take exposures of several seconds. If fine details are washed out use shorter exposures.