Watch for Northern Lights tonight

In summary, the northern lights may be visible tonight south of the 45 parallel. Unfortunately, light pollution may prevent anyone from seeing them.
  • #1
Ivan Seeking
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The Northern Lights - aurora borealis - may be visible tonight south of the 45 parallel.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapN.gif
This plot shows the current extent and position of the auroral oval in the northern hemisphere, extrapolated from measurements taken during the most recent polar pass of the NOAA POES satellite...
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html
 
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  • #2
Damn you clouds!
 
  • #3
I'm too far south. The map shows me along the southern border, but I see nothing. Too bad.
 
  • #4
I *might* be able to see them, but I live south of Seattle so the light pollution will probably get in the way.

When I lived in Fairbanks I saw them a lot of course...they're so cool :cool:. Definitely worth standing outside on a -40 night...at least for a few minutes.
 
  • #5
Wait, are they on right now!?
 
  • #6
Ivan Seeking said:
The Northern Lights - aurora borealis - may be visible tonight south of the 45 parallel.

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

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

Light pollution and too many trees...:mad:

The moon is pretty though. And the constellations... Gads what a beautiful universe. :smile:
 
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  • #7
I can setup a solar panel and charge my cell phone over night from light pollution.
 
  • #8
Was this only for last night?
 
  • #9
I think last night was supposed to be the peak resulting from a solar flare four days ago.

Didn't see anything here in Oregon.
 
  • #10
Ivan Seeking said:
I think last night was supposed to be the peak resulting from a solar flare four days ago.

Didn't see anything here in Oregon.

I thought it might be from the kruez stargrazer comet "colliding" with the sun... A friend of mine told me that about a month ago a kruez stargrazer comet "collided" with the sun
 
  • #11
Do you have information about Australis aurorae or whatever it's called? I live in the South hemisphere... maybe there's a correlation between the north's ones and the south's ones. (Yeah I know, I should google... ahahah).
 
  • #12
fluidistic said:
Do you have information about Australis aurorae or whatever it's called? I live in the South hemisphere... maybe there's a correlation between the north's ones and the south's ones. (Yeah I know, I should google... ahahah).

No need to google as I already provided a link to the NOAA site. Here is the southern hemisphere.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapS.gif
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapS.html
 
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  • #13
Ivan Seeking said:
No need to google as I already provided a link to the NOAA site. Here is the southern hemisphere.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapS.gif
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapS.html

Thanks and sorry for not having seen it.
Ah, there's no way I can see aurora.
 
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  • #14
Ivan Seeking said:
I think last night was supposed to be the peak resulting from a solar flare four days ago.

Didn't see anything here in Oregon.

Thank you for the notice and for the link which I saved earlier today. Looks like it may take some time to understand how to follow the charts.
Of the physical sciences this is tied into a subject and passion I have had since childhood but never had a chance to study. Now with internet we can.
I also have a great interest in geomagnetism but do not know the best place to go on the internet to learn the basics on up.
There is a little mentioned on this forum under Earth.
Thanks
 
  • #15
Solar wind is around 600km/s, or about 2.95 days to reach earth. The fastest solar flare took around 15 minutes to reach Earth in 2005 I believe.
 
  • #16
Last night I had nearly ideal conditions in my home in Toronto: clear skies, a nearly unobstructed view of the north, and tolerable (as in, suburban-level) light pollution. I looked up several times but didn't see anything.
 
  • #17
ideasrule,
In Toronto do you see them? We use to see some lights in northern Minnesota.
I'm not there now. I've never seen the lights in colors though.
MotoH,
Thank you for the information on Solar wind.
 
  • #18
No, I've never seen the northern lights before. That said, I've only been living in suburban Toronto for 6 years, and was only an active amateur astronomer (as in, someone who goes out every clear night) for 2. I hope to see the lights someday.
 
  • #19
Minnesota ftw!

Honestly there hasn't been any northern lights in about 3 years that I have seen. I am at my shack with near zero light pollution (in a blue/gray region) every weekend in the late spring, and early fall and I haven't seen anything!

Our Sun needs to ramp it up, and our magnetic field needs to sit on the couch for a couple weeks (in other words become weak.) Although getting hit with a highly energized proton doesn't sound very fun.
 
  • #20
MotoH said:
Minnesota ftw!

Honestly there hasn't been any northern lights in about 3 years that I have seen. I am at my shack with near zero light pollution (in a blue/gray region) every weekend in the late spring, and early fall and I haven't seen anything!

Our Sun needs to ramp it up, and our magnetic field needs to sit on the couch for a couple weeks (in other words become weak.) Although getting hit with a highly energized proton doesn't sound very fun.

What kind of sun screen are thinking of using for this event you are dreaming up there?
And I think it was around Lake of the Woods, MN that I saw the aurora in white about 1977 in the winter or fall. Not sure the season and I might be off a year.
 
  • #21
Do they ever get down to about the 35th parallel?
 

Related to Watch for Northern Lights tonight

What causes the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, are caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with gases in the Earth's atmosphere. These collisions emit energy in the form of light, creating the beautiful dancing lights we see in the sky.

Where is the best place to see the Northern Lights?

The best place to see the Northern Lights is in the "auroral zone", which is typically located between 10 and 20 degrees from the magnetic poles. This includes areas such as Alaska, Canada, and Northern Europe.

What time of year is best to see the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are most active during the winter months, from September to March. This is because the longer nights and clearer skies provide a better chance for viewing the lights. However, it is also possible to see them during the summer months in higher latitudes with less daylight.

Do I need any special equipment to view the Northern Lights?

No special equipment is needed to view the Northern Lights. However, it is recommended to find a dark location away from city lights for optimal viewing. It can also be helpful to bring a camera with a long exposure setting to capture the lights.

How can I predict when the Northern Lights will be visible?

The Northern Lights are unpredictable and can vary in intensity and location. However, there are websites and apps available that provide real-time updates and forecasts for the likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights. It is also helpful to keep an eye on solar activity, as this can impact the visibility of the lights.

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