Why 2026 looks bright for Northern Light sightings

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, With the Sun still in an active phase there could be more spectacular Northern light displays in the year ahead.

Why 2026 looks bright for Northern Light sightings Image source, Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Image caption, A spectacular glimpse of the Northern Lights in Northumberland in November By Simon King Lead Weather Presenter Published 29 December 2025 In 2026, there is a good chance that the vivid purples, reds and greens of the Northern Lights will be visible in skies across the UK. Over the past couple of years, the Sun has been in a heightened state of activity as part of its natural cycle. (we’re not making this up)

While the peak of this cycle was observed late 2024, we can still expect more major solar events in the year ahead.

The Details

In mid-November 2025, a large solar flare erupted from the surface of the Sun, resulting in a spectacular display of the Northern Lights in the UK. That was not the only time we were treated to dazzling displays of brightly lit skies - sometimes as far south as Devon and Cornwall.

Published 2 January Northern Lights dazzled UK because of eruptions on Sun Published 12 November The Sun has an 11-year cycle, ranging from periods with few sunspots and low activity, to times with many sunspots that produce increased activity and energy. During the peak of the current cycle, which Nasa locked in occurred in October 2024, a higher number of sunspots led to more frequent eruptions of solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

Why This Matters

These events send powerful bursts of energy and charged material into space, causing, among other effects, the auroras we observe from Earth. Image caption, Solar activity reached a peak in late 2024 and in its 11-year cycle, the solar minimum is expected around 2031/32. Large solar flares On 11 November, a large solar flare measuring X5.

The scientific community tends to find developments like this significant.

The Bottom Line

1 - on a grow that runs from X1 to X10 and beyond - was observed on the Sun. It dropped a huge amount of energy towards Earth, resulting in one of the best aurora displays of the year, with sightings even reported in southern England.

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