Rare Opportunity to See Northern Lights in Continental United States!

LEDAdd1ct

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1) Go to this site here:

Link

2) Look at the map

3) Click short term / "1 hour" forecast

4) Go to a dark location

A CME is predicted to produce aurora borealis far south of the norm. Go outside and look!

P.S. Debated whether this fit better in "General Illumination" or in "The Café," but thought it wasn't really a source of illumination, and so would fit better here. :)

LEDAdd1ct
 
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Obijuan Kenobe

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For those with little experience...the more south you are, the more the aurora will appear white rather than green. It can even just appear like a shimmer of white between you and the stars. It can be very important to let your eyes fully adjust to the dark and to pay attention first with your peripheral vision (rods). It can also move alot or only a little, and this can affect how quickly you spot it.

Good luck! I hope you guys get a few cloudless nights!

obi
 

Max_Power

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I saw the aurora a few years ago here in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was just a big hazy glow much like the normal white or orange sky-glow from the city, only it was too red, went too far above the horizon, and there was no (big) city below it.
 

LEDAdd1ct

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I stayed up way past my bedtime last night hoping to catch something, but all I caught were a few well placed bug bites. :( There is a mall north of me, and it polluted the low northern sky with all its parking lot lights, and there was haze, too.

I did find another handy site here. Maybe better luck tonight...
 

Burgess

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I live in North-central Indiana, in a VERY rural area.

Went outside tonight, at 9:27pm EDT, and immediately noticed THE SKY IS RED !

BTW -- sunset is listed at 6:51pm, which is more than 2-and-a-half hours previous.


I quickly realized i was seeing the Aurora Borealis !

It was in 2 distinct areas of the sky:

NorthWest and NorthEast

Sky was totally clear, no moon visible, and lots and lots of stars out.

The only color i ever saw was Red, although the NorthEast area had a white "streak"
for a while, which "shimmered".

I did NOT see any of the Red shimmer.

Lasted for perhaps 10 minutes.
Called my brother (he lives just North of me -- he is my neighbor), and he came out to view it.

He later told me that he has NEVER seen ANYthing as remarkable as this !

Quite a statement, from somebody who is 59 years old !

We were sorry to see it leave, but very grateful we had an opportunity to see it.

I have witnessed the Aurora perhaps 5 times previously, in my 58 years.

My brother said he had NEVER seen 'em -- only HEARD of them.


Hopefully, some of my fellow CPF'ers got a look at this rare sight, too.

Anybody see it ? ? ?


:anyone:


Update: I've included a bit more info in this thread here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...(4-Aug-2010)&p=3778240&viewfull=1#post3778240
_
 
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PhotonWrangler

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Wow. I wish I had caught that! I heard that it was visible in my area last night, and I was working all night including a lot of driving, but I didn't notice anything. Probably too much light pollution.

I'm definitely going to be looking for it for the next few nights though! :popcorn:
 

LEDAdd1ct

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I am really upset I missed this. My brother and I were watching a movie last night, and I was up way too late, and fell asleep.

This afternoon, he told me about it, and after a quick google, I realized we both missed an amazing opportunity. My dad was on the air, and told me that the usual evidence he hears on the radio (ham) wasn't there. However, I saw a photo from central NY, and it looked amazing. :(

I am glad some CPF'ers got to see it!
 

cdrake261

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This taken in Indianapolis, Indiana

a7481b40.jpg
 

Flying Turtle

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Never saw the lights growing up in Pittsburgh. Not likely to happen around here. I should put seeing the Northern lights on my bucket list.

Geoff
 

PhotonWrangler

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What a gorgeous photo! Thanks for sharing this. I've never seen the aurora in person. Does the light appear to be stationary or does it move?
 

Burgess

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In my previous Aurora viewings (through the decades), there was quite pronounced "Shimmering".

Not so much in this most recent one.

Although there was a "white streak" briefly appearing (perhaps a minute) in the NorthEast group,
and this white streak DID shimmer.


I saw no other colors (Monday).
Only Red -- with the aforementioned White Streak.


News reports state this Aurora was sighted as far south as Arkansas !
 

LEDAdd1ct

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All quiet tonight. You guys must have some pretty dark skies at your disposal.

I remember reading that truly dark skies are a necessity to see the lights.
 

archimedes

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....News reports state this Aurora was sighted as far south as Arkansas !

I heard an astronomy professor on the radio mention that he saw this in Georgia (!)

I wish I would've noticed this one. I've seen some faint greens/white/blues (never red) in Canada, many years ago....

A bit OT, perhaps, but I also saw an incredible "green flash" (sunset) from the air over Auckland once.
 
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LEDAdd1ct

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Wow, very cool!

Let's cross our fingers we get some cool special effects!

Remember to check this site here for the forecast.
 

Burgess

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Trouble is . . . .


We are now approaching a Full Moon ! :(



Which always makes Night-Sky-Watching a whole lot more Challenging.


:awman:
_
 
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