Aurora (borealis) tonight - 1/9/14

[Isotope-C14]

Originally Posted by elan

I was so irked because it was cloudy, but looks like it didn't matter.

It appears to have fizzled, but better to be aware of a higher-chance than normal to spot it, rather than sleeping through it!

[Hipchik]

Neditate is correct that the Kp index has to be around 7 for us to see it "down here". It never got above 4.
Saw the aurora here in the summer of 2003. It was red and nothing like I expected!
I agree Isotope C14. I don't want to go to bed not knowing there's potential for it and hear about it the next day. That's why I sign up for the alerts. Someday going to Alaska, Iceland or Norway.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Hipchik

Neditate is correct that the Kp index has to be around 7 for us to see it "down here". It never got above 4.
Saw the aurora here in the summer of 2003. It was red and nothing like I expected!
I agree Isotope C14. I don't want to go to bed not knowing there's potential for it and hear about it the next day. That's why I sign up for the alerts. Someday going to Alaska, Iceland or Norway.

I saw it once on a flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt as the plane went far north. It was very pretty from the air.

[Isotope-C14]

Originally Posted by Hipchik

Neditate is correct that the Kp index has to be around 7 for us to see it "down here". It never got above 4.
Saw the aurora here in the summer of 2003. It was red and nothing like I expected!
I agree Isotope C14. I don't want to go to bed not knowing there's potential for it and hear about it the next day. That's why I sign up for the alerts. Someday going to Alaska, Iceland or Norway.

I've seen it blow over my vacation location in Western Ontario.

Beautiful green sheet on the horizon, with a bottom edge of red, The curtain kept getting closer, and eventually was above us. It lit the ground like some eerie kind of moonlight. When it was overhead it looked more white with blue hues, absolutely amazing. Brighter than the most light I've seen during a full moon.

Here's some other amazing ways to learn about the topic:

NOVA is still awesome. I find the guy who does the "how stuff works" has a bit of a grating personality, but overall those are worth watching as well. These two talk about the sun and space, and the secrets of the sun, is without a doubt, one of their best. It's quite well done and explains why they can predict solar cycles.

NOVA | At the Edge of Space

NOVA | Secrets of the Sun

According to the graph, the solar cycle progression, they are pretty spot-on, we will have our solar activity maximum here within the next year or two, and then once again into a quiet phase.

Space Weather Now

Ok, good luck for the next CME event!