PEOPLE IN IRELAND may enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime view of the sky tonight.

Recent solar activity means that auroras – lights in the sky that are only normally visible from countries close to polar regions – may make an appearance above Ireland.

Last Sunday, an eruption on the surface of the sun resulted in tonnes of plasma being blasted into space, creating a “solar tsunami” that is now travelling 93 million miles towards Earth.

If the plasma comes into contact with atoms of nitrogen and oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, the reaction will cause the famous glowing lights in the sky.

Watch Sunday’s solar flare:



Sunday’s eruption – called a coronal mass ejection – was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

Leon Golub of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said “It’s the first major Earth-directed eruption in quite some time,” adding, “We got a beautiful view of this eruption, and there might be more beautiful views to come – if it triggers aurorae”.

However, the solar tsunami might also cause space storms, which can damage satellites, knock out power grids, and disturb other communication systems on Earth.

Scientists warn that our sun is currently at its quietest in over a century, resulting  in what is known as a “solar minimum” phase – which could mean that we are overdue some bad solar weather, otherwise known as a “solar maximum”.

But while scientists cannot say for sure whether Irish sky-searchers will be able to see the lights as they occur, many will nevertheless be looking to the skies tonight in the hope of catching a glimpse of the elusive lights.