Aurora Alert During The Nights Ahead 17
Jens Lönn writes: "Magnetic fields above sunspot 9653 erupted yesterday (Oct. 9th at 1110 UT) and hurled a full-halo coronal mass ejection toward Earth. The expanding cloud, which speed away from the Sun traveling approximately 1000 km/s, could strike our planet's magnetosphere as soon as Thursday, Oct. 11th. Sky watchers, especially those living above geomagnetic latitude 50 degrees, should remain alert for Northern Lights during the nights ahead. The best time to spot auroras is usually around local midnight. Note: This is not an alert for a geomagnetic storm, it's just an alert for those who wants to watch great auroras at night."
Clouds suck (Score:1, Funny)
And is it just me, or are the trolls lazy today?
Re:Clouds suck (Score:1)
I think the trolls are all worn out from their big Tuesday. Yuck. I'm never looking at -1 again.
Northern Lights? I was hoping (Score:2, Funny)
The Real Aurora (Score:2, Interesting)
Yeah, I wish it was an Aurora too...
I've seen what I think is the real Aurora, three times, back in the mid to late 80's.
I always used to camp at Mono Lake on the CA, NV border to see the Perseids display every Aug..
On three different years, I heard a sound like I'd never heard before, and looked up to see an aircraft with a contrail movin' faster than anything I'd seen to date.
My father used to spend alot of time at Edwards AFB as a test engineer (civilian), and used to take us to armed forces day there every year during the early '60's. I'd seen and heard all sorts of very neat aircraft that was based at Edwards in those days.
I also used to subscribe to Avation Week and Space Technology (split the $175.00 subscription price with my Lockheed engineer girlfriend) so I could keep tabs on Aurora's development (reading between the lines as it were).
I could tell you about everything that flies way back then, and what I saw at Mono Lake was astoundingly faster. We're talkin' less than five seconds, horizon to horizon! I was blown away...
They were all headed North to South along the Sierra crest.
And the last one I saw in 1989, sounded even weirder, and had a morse code like contrail. I'd never seen an aircraft with a broken contrail before (or since).
Re:The Real Aurora (Score:1)
Back when I was more into starnge aviation news, the Aurora's contrail was supposed to look like doughnuts on a rope, due to the pulse engine it used.
Re:The Real Aurora (Score:1)
The "doughnuts-on-a-rope" description describes what the contrail would look like at low speeds. When it's really moving it would look more like the other reader described it.
I'm a little skeptical of the 5 second horizon-to-horizon claim though, especially at the altitude they've been flying these things at. Nothing could move that fast without burning.
Photo buffs please chime in!! (Score:2, Interesting)
Obviously I will need to get away from the city lights, but if it is visible, I could sure use some info/recommendations on photo exposure times/films/etc.?
Second question: how much is this latest blob of solar goo supposed to do in terms of radio interference, etc.?
Re:Photo buffs please chime in!! (Score:2, Informative)
I havent seen any predictions about where on the scale [noaa.gov] this blob is, but it is possibly a R2 (or lower) - which means moderate effects. That is, only limited radio blackouts on the sunlit side.
Aurora... check your *magnetic* latitude (Score:3, Informative)
If you're curious about what the aurora is doing, this [noaa.gov] is a good place to check. (If you're in the northern hemisphere)
Remember that aurora forecasts almost always list the magnetic latitude, so check to see if your location is expected to have visible aurora. For example, this forecast projects aurora at 50degN Magnetic and north (Yea!). You may (especially in North America) be further north (or south) than you think!
Milalwi
Clouds or light pollution? (Score:2)
Re:Clouds or light pollution? (Score:1)
Stupid Rain (Score:1)
Question/misunderstanding (Score:3, Informative)
Aurora forcast website (Score:1)
Missed it? (Score:1)