The northern lights were spotted across the UK last night, from Scotland all the way down to Devon. 

It is known officially as an aurora borealis, which is the latin translation of northern lights. 

These lights occur when there is activity on the earth's sun. 

Atoms and mollecules from the earth's atmosphere collide with particles from the sun and create colours in the sky. 

The earth's magnetic field is what causes the wavy lines and patterns of the northern lights. 

They are a fairly rare occurence, but we in Scotland might get another chance to see them tonight.

Here's what we know...

Can I see the northern lights in Scotland tonight?

According to AuroraWatch UK, parts of Scotland could see the northern lights again tonight. 

Yesterday, areas across the UK reported sightings of the aurora borealis. 

As of 4pm on Thursday, AuroraWatch UK reported "minor geomagnetic activity" on its Facebook page, meaning there is a possibility of an aurora later if this activity continues. 

It advised checking the site again when it was dark for confirmation of whether or not the northern lights could be seen in Scotland tonight. 

The site is available here. 

The chance of seeing an aurora is on the left side of the graph, while the time is along the bottom of the graph. 

A red alert means it is likely an aurora will occur, while an amber alert means a possible aurora. 

Earlier in the day, the site had reported a red alert meaning that an aurora was likely, however this has decreased as the day has gone on. 

Meanwhile, Met Office space weather expert Krista Hammond also confirmed there was a chance of spotting the lights again tonight.

"As was predicted by the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre, a coronal mass ejection impacted with the Earth yesterday.

"The resulting strong geomagnetic storm meant the Northern Lights were visible across large areas of the UK overnight last night.

"We’ve had reports that the aurora could even be seen in some central areas of the UK, which is possible when a storm of this magnitude impacts the Earth.

"This means there is the potential for further sightings of the Northern Lights overnight, although there will be spells of patchy cloud over Scotland which could limit visibility in places."

What time am I most likely to see an aurora? 

The northern lights are usually most visible between 9pm and 1am, however they could be spotted any time during the hours of darkness.