Potential Northern Lights across Wales tonight

There have been three distinct peaks for potential Northern Lights activity across Wales over the last 24 hours - the first shortly after 9pm on Wednesday night, then later on in the early hours of Thursday morning, with the further alert several hours later just after 9am. 

Whilst the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), sparked what's known as a G3-class geomagnetic storm, the Earth is now experiencing the wake of the CME with a slightly lesser encounter, a G-2, possible Thursday night into Friday morning.

The Aurora Borealis Forecast from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

Stargazers across the nation have been waiting in anticipation for such events. For even the most experienced astronomers, the Aurora Borealis - Ffagl yr Arth in Welsh - remains an elusive spectacle.

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The CME responsible for the current activity was classed as what's referred to as a 'Cannibal CME', one that actually consumes other CMEs. This particular one was the result of an earlier ejection, perhaps even two outbursts, being caught and consumed by a much faster ejection on its way to Earth. 

The result, a combination of all CME's colliding with the Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday night.

• This article orginally appeared on our sister site The National.