Northern Lights to return to UK skies in March - best dates to see stunning display

While Scots have been lucky enough to witness the Aurora Borealis a few times since the start of the year, those who haven't caught them yet may still be in with a chance.

Amateur stargazers are in for a treat over the next few weeks as the Northern Lights and a lunar eclipse are set to light up our skies this month.

This will be the first lunar eclipse since 2022 and it will be followed shortly by a partial solar eclipse. But sadly, they will mostly visible across North America.

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According to Forbes, the best time to go stargazing this month is during March's darkest evenings, which will be between March 22 and March 29.

Although we may not be lucky enough to witness the eclipse in the UK, the Northern Lights are to bless our skies after sunset a few weeks either side of Thursday, March 20.

March 2025 may be the best month to spot this cosmic phenomenon because the sun will be close to "solar maximum", which is the peak of its 11-year solar cycle.

On March 20, the vernal equinox puts the Earth's axis perpendicular to the solar wind, which is known to cause an increase in aurora activity.

These lights will be especially bright in the US, Canada and regions near the Arctic Circle, reports the Express.

But the best places in Scotland to catch the lights are areas of the Highlands and Islands and the North West of the country.

There will also be a full moon and a bright Mars in the southern night sky on March 8. On Thursday, March 13, to Friday, March 14, lucky stargazers in the US should spot a Blood Moon total lunar eclipse.

This spectacular sight is expected to happen in the south to southwest night sky in North America.

Starting from 10.57pm Eastern Standard Time, the full moon will pass through Earth’s shadow, reaching totality at around 2:26 a.m. For an impressive 65 minutes, the moon will appear draped in reds and oranges, which is where this lunar eclipse gets its name as the Blood Moon.