geomagnetic

Late on Tuesday night there was a geomagnetic storm - an increase in the solar energy entering Earth's atmosphere - which enhanced the aurora.

You'll need these increases in solar energy, such as a moderate to severe geomagnetic storm for the ring to grow and expand to lower latitudes such as the UK.

Having the extra energy of an Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection and geomagnetic storm will increase chances even more.

May 2024 was especially significant, with Nasa suggesting Earth experienced the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades - and was possibly among the strongest displays of aurora on record in the past 500 years.

With lots of geomagnetic storms, the last 12 months have been a pretty special time to see the aurora.