Latest news with #NorthernLights
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Campaigners fear South Shields lamps 'will destroy night sky'
Installing street lighting along a stretch of road popular for viewing the Northern Lights would "destroy the night sky", campaigners have Tyneside Council approved plans on Thursday to place lamp-posts along the coast road in South Shields, in order to improve safety along what is a National Cycle Network Dave Dixon said he was "embarrassed and ashamed" by the decision, adding the council had ignored the concerns of residents living near the Leas Nature Gibson, lead councillor for neighbourhoods and climate change, said the decision "balances the need for public safety with our responsibility to protect the natural environment". The approved plans would see 10m-high (32.8ft) lamp-posts installed on the west side of the road, with "dark-sky compliant lanterns to minimise visual and ecological impact", the local authority lighting would be dimmed during the evening to reduce energy use and light previously told the BBC the lights would damage wildlife and cause light pollution. Mr Gibson said the route was a "vital link for cyclists and pedestrians", adding the "improved lighting will make it safer and more accessible".The decision was informed by a Road Safety Audit which identified clear risks in the absence of street lighting, the council authority said lighting impact, ecological and habit regulation assessments were all undertaken to address concerns raised by residents. Campaigners strongly disputed that and said the council had ignored their Porter, campaigner, told BBC Look North: "We are really angry that the council has paid lip service to listening to us but they haven't actually done anything about it. "They are going to put lights up that will fuel light pollution all over the Leas and harm the wildlife and they say it is on road safety grounds but there aren't any serious accidents here, the traffic is relatively slow at 30mph."The decision has hit residents that live along the road particularly Driver, campaigner, said: "The feedback I am getting is unbelievable, absolute devastation. "The houses are going to all be lit up, the council think they had a battle on for the last year, trust me this is only the start of the next campaign, we will take it as far as we can." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SLB's OneSubsea secures EPC contract for Northern Lights project
OneSubsea, a joint venture of global technology company SLB, has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract from Equinor for phase two of the Northern Lights carbon capture and storage (CCS) project offshore Norway. This contract signifies a major step in the project following the final investment decision (FID) by Northern Lights' owners – TotalEnergies, Shell and Equinor – and a commercial agreement with an end-use customer. The contract awarded to SLB OneSubsea includes the engineering and construction of two new satellite subsea CO₂ injection systems with associated tie-in equipment. Project work has already begun, with the initial deliveries anticipated in 2026. This contract comes after the successful completion and delivery of two subsea injection systems for the project's first phase in 2023. The Northern Lights project, part of the world's first open-source, full-scale value chain for CO₂ capture, transport and storage services, is set to expand its capacity from 1.5 million tonnes (mt) to a minimum of 5mt of CO₂ per year with phase two. The project's growth is also supported by a grant from the Connecting Europe Facility for Energy funding scheme. SLB OneSubsea CEO Mads Hjelmeland said: 'Equinor's enduring commitment to subsea standardisation is now yielding substantial benefits across new offshore value chains, including CO₂ storage. By utilising standardised components, we achieve reduced risk and economies of scale, which enhance both traditional and innovative subsea projects. 'The Northern Lights project is pivotal for Europe's path toward net-zero emissions, and it is well aligned with our own strategy to expand the frontiers of subsea for a sustainable energy future.' In May 2025, the Northern Lights project received all necessary permits to inject and store CO₂ in the Aurora CCS licence in the North Sea. With phase one development completed and fully booked, the project is poised to start operations in the second half of 2025, offering CO₂ storage services to industrial customers. In a related development, SLB, in partnership with Subsea 7, secured a substantial engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract from bp for the Ginger project offshore Trinidad and Tobago last month. "SLB's OneSubsea secures EPC contract for Northern Lights project" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
South Shields: Lamp-posts approved for coast road near The Leas
The installation of street lighting along a stretch of road which has become popular for viewing the Northern Lights has been Wednesday, South Tyneside Council has approved the establishment of lamp-posts along the coast road in South Shields, in order to improve safety along what is a National Cycle Network and those living near the Leas nature reserve previously told the BBC the lights would damage wildlife and cause light councillor Ernest Gibson, lead member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said the decision "balances the need for public safety with our responsibility to protect the natural environment". The scheme will see 10-metre (32.8ft) lamp-posts installed on the west side of the road, with "dark-sky compliant lanterns to minimise visual and ecological impact", the local authority lighting will be dimmed during the evening to reduce energy use and light spill. Gibson said the route is a "vital link for cyclists and pedestrians", adding the "improved lighting will make it safer and more accessible".The decision was informed by a Road Safety Audit which identified clear risks in the absence of street lighting, the council authority said lighting impact assessments, ecological assessments, and habit regulation assessments, were all undertaken to address concerns raised by residents. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Time Out
2 days ago
- Science
- Time Out
The Aurora Borealis could be seen in 14 U.S. states tonight—is yours one of them?
Our fascination with the Northern Lights is never-ending, perhaps because we all crave a deeper connection to nature. Seeing the sky do something so unusual and breathtaking reminds us that we are part of a universe whose mysteries we don't completely understand. So it's great news that tonight, folks in 14 U.S. states may be able to see the stunning Aurora Borealis IRL, according to Get yourself to a remote location without light interference, pour a glass of wine and lie back—the show will hopefully be spectacular. The Northern Lights will, of, course be visible from our most northern state Alaska, as is typically the case. But folks as far south as South Dakota may also be able to see them. A hole has opened up in the sun's atmosphere, which is causing heavy geomagnetic activity. What does that mean, exactly? Science moment brought to you by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center and summarized as best as possible by an English major: The sun gives off electrically charged particles that collide with nitrogen and oxygen in the earth's upper atmosphere. When enough of these collisions occur, nitrogen discharges a blue light, and oxygen emits a greenish-yellow or even red one. The other colors you see are from these lights blending. And that's the Aurora Borealis! Earlier this year, there were 17 states in America that had the chance of seeing the Northern Lights during a similar geomagnetic storm (sorry, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Nebraska: you fell off the list this time!) Tonight, you can increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights by finding a north-facing vantage point in a dark space without light pollution. Try looking around 1 a.m. your local time. So which U.S. states can you expect or hope to see the big display tonight? They are: 1. Alaska 2. Minnesota 3. North Dakota 4. Montana 5. Maine 6. Michigan 7. Wisconsin 8. Vermont 9. New Hampshire 10. Washington 11. Oregon 12. Idaho 13. New York 14. South Dakota
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Geomagnetic Storm Watch issued with Northern Lights possible from New York to Washington state
NEW YORK – While the ground may feel like it's on fire as a heat dome continues to scorch the U.S. this week, the sky could resemble dancing flames Wednesday night and early Thursday as charged particles from the Sun are barreling toward our planet, creating the chance to see the Northern Lights. Forecasters with NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) have been monitoring a feature on the Sun known as a coronal hole – areas on the surface of the Sun with cooler, less dense plasma. These dark areas on the Sun, as seen in satellite images, can produce space weather events known as coronal hole high-speed streams (CH HSS), which can trigger Northern Lights on Earth. Due to the recurrent, negative polarity CH HSS influence, NOAA space weather forecasts are predicting minor (G1) to moderate (G2) geomagnetic storming between Wednesday and Thursday, based on NOAA's five-level scale. A Geomagnetic Storm Watch is in place through Thursday. What Causes The Northern Lights? Under these conditions, the Aurora Borealis may be seen across the northern tier of the U.S. and the Upper Midwest, in areas as far south as New York to Wisconsin to Washington state. If you're within the Northern Lights viewing area on late Wednesday or early Thursday, a dark sky will help your chances of seeing the bright dancing lights in the sky. Move away from city lights or turn off artificial light sources outside and look north. Even if you can't see the lights with the naked eye, use your smartphone's night mode, and you might be surprised by what you see. During severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storms, the lights could be seen as far south as the Gulf article source: Geomagnetic Storm Watch issued with Northern Lights possible from New York to Washington state
