Get ready for some space weather

[Rhei Lor'akris]

[quote:3uv5a665]Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Aurora Update

We'll have multiple opportunities for a display of the Northern Lights over the next two days. The latest word from the solar scientists is that the Sun erupted not just once, but four times. All four coronal mass ejections are headed toward Earth.

Space weather forecasts are even more challenging than regular weather forecasts. Dr. Leon Golub says a coronal mass ejection is like a hurricane: it’s large and fuzzy, and doesn’t always move at the same speed. Currently, the estimated arrival times are:

Wednesday, Aug. 4 – 3:00 a.m. EDT
Wednesday, Aug. 4 – 1:00 p.m. EDT (aurorae not visible in daylight)
Wednesday, Aug. 4 – 8:00 p.m. EDT
Thursday, Aug. 5 – 2:00 a.m. EDT

Any one of these events may or may not generate an aurora. It depends on details like magnetic field orientation. If the magnetic field in the oncoming solar plasma is directed opposite Earth’s magnetic field, the result could be spectacular aurorae. If the fields line up, the coronal mass ejection could slide past our planet with nary a ripple.

Viewing tips: No fancy equipment is needed to see the Northern Lights. You should seek a viewing location with dark skies, as far from city lights as possible. Then, look to the north. An aurora appears as a ghostly sheen of light, colored green or red, that slowly shimmers and undulates over time. An aurora can disappear within minutes or last for hours.

Watch this space for more updates as they become available.[/quote:3uv5a665] - Source is [url=http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2010/fe ... l:3uv5a665]Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics[/url:3uv5a665]

More information can be found here: http://www.spaceweather.com/

This could make for some interesting photos and video coverage.

[Kiaransalyn]

I'll have a look for them then. Living in the north of England should give me a chance to see something, assuming the skies are clear, which they often aren't.

[Inriiaynrae Jaelre]

yall think it can be seen from florida? i have always wanted to see such

[veraka]

Oh I bet you could, just need to get away from the city, I'd say a good mile, maybe two from any large city or suburban area.

Well it looks like I might be heading into our great Rocky Mountains to check these out.

[Kiaransalyn]

[quote="Inriiaynrae Jaelre":1iqokpno]yall think it can be seen from florida? i have always wanted to see such[/quote:1iqokpno]

I think it would be nigh on impossible for you to see the Aurora Borealis so far south. Florida's between 30Ëš and 24Ëš.

Following up a link from Wiki, it says that "According to reports, aurorae would be visible at night toward the northern horizon in temperate latitudes between 45° to 50°, and near overhead in regions farther north."
Original source:www.cieletespace.fr
[quote:1iqokpno]Compte tenue de l'importance de l'éruption solaire du 1er août, ces aurores pourraient être visibles depuis les moyennes latitudes boréales (45 à 50°) au-dessus de l'horizon Nord.[/quote:1iqokpno]

[Kiaransalyn]

This might be handy:
[url=http://www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com/:385hxxix]www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com/[/url:385hxxix]

[Narsia Ny'Dhun]

Makes me regret living in southern California. I hope it was a spectacular show nonethless

[Kiaransalyn]

[quote="Narsia Ny'Dhun":241jkwht]Makes me regret living in southern California. I hope it was a spectacular show nonethless[/quote:241jkwht]

So far, here in northern England (latitude 53), I've not seen anything. Then again, it's not quite dark yet (even though it's almost ten at night).

I've got my camera ready just in case though.

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

if yall get any, post some pictures...to bad i live to far south too

[Kiaransalyn]

I didn't see anything that resembled the aurora last night.

[Rhei Lor'akris]

The auroral oval map indicates a smaller area than before, so the viewing is restricted to higher latitudes now. Sorry to hear about not being able to see them, Kia.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapN.gif

[url=http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/gall ... 7:32xtwztl]There are some interesting photos taken by those who were able to see it.[/url:32xtwztl]

[Kiaransalyn]

Going off that map I should see them. However, the main problem will be cloud cover. It's nearly always cloudy here (and rainy).

[Inriiaynrae Jaelre]

i guess i will have to move to alaska...