A local photographer has captured a few stunning snaps of the Northern Lights over Cork on New Year’s Eve.
While many were out at midnight last night watching fireworks go off, photographer Alan McCarthy had his eye on a different splash of colour in the night sky.
Set up outside Courtmacsherry in West Cork, Alan managed to capture some wonderful shots of the aurora borealis as it became visible over the Rebel County.
Last year, we were lucky enough to see a number of aurora borealis displays between May and August, with another unusual out-of-season sighting in October. Our luck continued into New Year’s Eve however most people would have struggled to catch a glimpse of it due to the overcast weather.
For those who missed out last night, the good news is these auroras are typically predicted days in advance, and you can use tools such as the Space Weather Prediction Center’s site to see when they’ll be visible near you.
Light pollution is another major factor to consider if you want to go chase a few auroras in the new year. Light pollution is the term used for the presence of excessive artificial light which can obscure the details of the night sky.
It’s estimated that over 80% of the world’s population lives under a light-polluted sky and urban areas are the worst affected.
Thankfully, for those of you who want to get a good look at the aurora before it disappears, an online map tool can be used to find the perfect place near you to go stargazing. The lightpollutionmap.info website has an interactive map which shows how light pollution affects your locality.
The map which shows the areas in Cork worst affected by light pollution
(Image: lightpollutionmap.info)
As can be seen from the map Cork city and nearby towns like Glanmire, Ballincollig, Carrigaline and even Cobh are in a light pollution red zone which will make it very difficult to get a clear image of tonight’s aurora. Areas highlighted in purple are the worst affected and residents there will need to travel to get a proper look at the lights.