I subscribe to a mail list from the University of Alaska that sends me alerts for when conditions are favorable to see the Northern Lights. Below is the one I got last night. I'll be checking outside frequently. :)
The effects of the solar events of the last days have reached Earth and a
large magnetic storm is in progress. The aurora associated with this storm
is already covering Scandinavia. It should be visible in Central Europe
during the night.
Because of the activity following the initial shock, we expect this storm to
continue; if it does at the present level, it will be visible across the
northern half of the continental US, Southern New Zealand, Tasmania, and
even the southern coast of Victoria, Australia.
Go to http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/ and choose a map for your
region, then monitor the short-term forecast panel for the extent of the
latest nighttime activity in your region.
Dr. Charles Deehr, Prof. Emer. Phys.
Missed it here last night, woulda been just after midnight on the horizon. It's 39 degrees this morning, nippy. I bet there is frost up on the woodlot. ;D
Where is my stove pipe? :D
The Northern Lights are awsome!
The best I've seen was in September 1988 when I was on a moose hunt in Alaska, on the Koyokuk River, just inside the Arctic Circle.
We could actually hear the static and it would actually stand our hair "on end"!
The lights were right at ground level, so we were "in" the Northern Lights.
I'll never forget it.
Ive seen them a number of times , but the best was when I was hunting in the Mackenze Mountains in the Northwest Teerritory I will never forget the beauty.
Looks like 10:15 tonight in my area there might be a short glimse. And we have a clear sky. Boy it sure warmed up to, in the low 70's.
Northern Lights?? I though they were southern lights. You know you live far north when you have to look south to see them. That is one of the greatest things about this time of year, every night I look staight up and there they are.
When you whistle a tune they will dance for you. When it is mid winter and -40c/f is the best time to see them. They will fill the entire valley here. I hope to try out our new camera and get some pictures of them. I never could figure out how to take them with our old camera, but this new one is supposed to automaticaly adjust for taking pictures of them.
FB
When I was stationed at Fort Greely AK I was walking home one night in December and it was -50 and you could hear the crackle of the lights. I woke my 4 year old daughter and wraped her up in my parka and took her out side so she could see and hear the lights. Her eyes got real big and she said "Dad look at the night time rainbows!"
We can not see them in Arkansas.
You can't see them from Maryland either but I was lucky enough to see it in Fairbainks Alaska back around 2002.
Jon
I don't see them often here, but that's because I'm not out at night looking for them. When I was a kid and it was winter time we were out doors at night time as much as we could. Even if just for star gazing. Winter has the best view of the night sky in my opinion. And no big cities around here to obscure it with city lights. You know even a town glows with the night lights. ;)
I know it sounds crazy, but as a kid I remember seeing them standing in my back yard in Manassas, VA back in the late 50's or very early 60's.
Bruce
My dad took us outside a few times to look at them when I was a kid (in Nebraska), haven't seen them for a long time though.
You can see them from central Illinois every few years, although I never have. Way too much light pollution here.
yep. Miking is right... you can see them in central Illinois. I took this picture about 20 years ago from my front steps about 10 miles west of Peoria.
It was november around 7 PM.. I hurriedly setup my tri-pod and stood in the snow in my barefeet. It was about a 10 or 15 minute exposure.
The scene went on all night long. I lay in bed in the dark looking out the window until about 2 AM when I finally fell asleep
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10265/8/aurora.jpg)
What is also cool is to see a photo of the aurora from high up in space where the entire earth can be seen. The Aurora Australis is the mirror image of the Aurora Borealis
I also remember seeing the Aurora Borealis one time as a kid in northern Indiana.
We saw them in southern B.C. when I was a kid but nowhere as spectacular as in Peace River Alberta on a very cold night. The colors and the dancing were unbelievable.
The aurora may be very visible tonight. They are even saying that it might be visible as far south as Baltimore. So, northern guys, take advantage of your latitude! We are apparently in the midst of a very strong solar storm.
And a snow storm to. ;D :D
It is very clear here so it should be a good viewing night if they kick up. I hope this flu lets up enough for me to go out a bit.
Jeff and SwampDonkey-
How many times a year are they visible at your locations?
I've seen them less than a dozen times in my life.
I don't know why, but that surprises me. Do you think it's because they often appear after midnight and you are asleep, or do you think that their appearance is really that rare. My reading tells me that, despite forecasting attempts, their appearance can be fleeting and pretty fickle. I'll bet the UP, with its total lack of light pollution, would be a spectacular place to see them.
Yes to all of the above. I miss them a lot, they are rare, the forecasts are many times wrong, and when I have been at the cabin in the U.P. and they did appear,they were most magnificent.
I miss most of them, and like Jeff said, they are not a common occurrence. I think if we were up by the arctic circle things would be different. And we are a long way south of there. :)
That would be a great thing to behold! Jeff hope you get better soon.
My first experience of seeing this was in the middle 60's when a neighbor and I were burning brush piles one evening. They showed up across the entire horizon to the north. Continuous dancing, bursting, and cascading back and forth with quite brilliant colors of light.
Didn't really know what was causing them, but they were visible for a good part of 3-4 hours that evening, like 8-11 pm.
Never have seen such a show since, as they have been relatively short periods.
It's cloudy a lot up here ;D We might go several years without seeing them. I've seen real good shows on a few occasions. One event in particular was all red 8) It's perfectly clear here now but nothings going on.
Only stars here so far.
Just went out to fill the furnace. Not visable here yet.
If it's going to happen, it's going to happen without me again. My nyquil has kicked in.
I'm going to bed too. There will be northern lights again ;D :)
We're getting an awesome display just now. Heading back outside to join the family!
I just came in from gazing at a beautiful starlit sky with my dog and find you guys talking about it too. Now I may have to go back out and watch for the 'lights'. The dog looks like she's too sleepy to join me though. :D
My favorite memory was smelt dipping on Saginaw Bay one night in April. Beenthere's description was exactly like we saw that night. The sky to the northeast over the water was moving and dancing with colors.
It was a serene feeling; standing in the calm frigid water in my waders, among hundreds of people at 2:00 in the morning and everyone facing Lake Huron to the north... mesmerized.
Was visible on the far north horizon in far north Texas. Very low in the sky.
You were probably looking at the glow of a northern town. ;)
They say they were spectacular in the U.P. and will have something on our local news tonight. I woke up a couple times last night and peaked out and didn't see anything.
Seems there was a solar flare and the Aurora Borealis will be seen this weekend.
www.usatoday.com has a picture of the Northern Lights and the Mackinac Bridge , plus a few more