Northern Lights Scotland: Exact date and best time to see ‘once in a decade’ aurora this week

A solar event is bringing a bucket-list opportunity to the stargazers in the UK this week. Following a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) that erupted from Sunday, May 10, a cloud of super-hot solar plasma is currently hurtling toward Earth’s magnetic “strike zone". 

Met Office experts predict that a section of this solar cloud will brush past Earth on Wednesday, May 13. This glancing blow is expected to trigger a minor geomagnetic storm, which occurs when solar particles collide with the Earth’s magnetic shield to create the aurora borealis. 

The best chance for sightings will be in northern Scotland and regions at similar latitudes. While activity may remain at background levels, clear skies in the north could reveal the iconic pink, purple, and green displays typical of a geomagnetic enhancement.

The Met Office says: “Auroral activity is expected to be mostly at background levels. However, there is the potential for a glancing CME arriving into early UTC on 13 May.

“This may bring an enhancement to the auroral oval, perhaps allowing sightings across northern Scotland and similar geomagnetic latitudes, where skies are clear.”

This event comes during what is expected to be a blockbuster year for stargazers. 2026 marks the peak of the Sun’s 11-year cycle, meaning solar flares and CMEs are more frequent and powerful.

While Scotland remains the UK’s prime viewing spot, the heightened solar maximum increases the likelihood that the Northern Lights will be visible further south across the rest of the UK throughout the year. 

Scotland and other high-latitude regions are prime locations for catching a glimpse of an aurora every few months. 

Stargazers are advised to find dark locations away from light pollution on Wednesday. In addition, powerful solar storms make them visible across the UK between September and March.