Wil Cheung, a professional photographer, astronomer and stargazer, will host the talk at the Queen’s Hall in Hexham next month, where he will divulge how, when and where is best to see and experience the Aurora Borealis.
He has seen the Northern Lights more than 350 times and runs Facebook and Instagram accounts dedicated to helping 60,000 plus people around the world see the aurora.
Wil has seen the Northern Lights more than 300 times (Image: Wil Cheung) Wil, from Hexham, owns Twice Brewed Stargazing and had a photography exhibition at the Queen’s Hall several years ago.
The talk will explore everything people need to know about the aurora.
READ MORE: Northumberland charity backs bill to mandate solar on new homes
“It seemed perfect to come back to do a talk about how you can see the Northern Lights,” he said. “The idea of my talk at Hexham is sharing my stories of how I’ve seen it and more importantly, helping other people plan to see it, the best times to see it and why it even happens, along with general tips on how to photograph it.”
The earth is now in solar maximum for the next few years, the most active phase of the sun’s cycle, which is the optimal point to view the Northern Lights.
The Twice Brewed Inn, where Wil runs stargazing events (Image: Wil Cheung) “The aurora looks different depending on how close you are. When you’ve been underneath it and seen the colours by eye, see it dancing and moving, you get hooked. It’s incredible to see,” Wil said.
He explained why the Northern Lights occur is because the earth is changing the harmful radiation emitted from the sun and converting it into a ‘beautiful’ light display.
The Angel of the North (Image: Wil Cheung) “For me, it’s that humbleness and connection with nature and thinking, ‘wow, this is just so incredibly beautiful’ and try to help people understand how they can see it too.”
Wil organises Northern Lights trips to various countries including Iceland and Norway.
“It looks like I’m going to be doing more tours around the UK and it’s great to have one at home in Hexham. It’s a great opportunity,” Wil added.
Chasing the Aurora with Wil will be held at the main theatre in the Queen’s Hall on Thursday, February 20 from 7.30pm.
Tickets start from £21 and the event is expected to run for approximately one hour and 30 minutes including an interval.
To book tickets, go to https://www.queenshall.co.uk/whats-on/chasing-the-aurora-with-wil.