Northern Lights - This Thursday 09January2014

[palandri]

....Federal space weather forecaster Joe Kunches said the sun shot out a strong solar flare late Tuesday, which should arrive at Earth early Thursday. It should shake up Earth's magnetic field and expand the Aurora Borealis south, possibly as far south as Colorado and central Illinois. He said best viewing would probably be Thursday evening, weather permitting....

Goodbye freeze, hello northern lights; solar flare should expand shimmering skies south a bit | Star Tribune

 

[jmshub]

My grandfather talked of seeing the Northern Lights around here (SW PA) when he was a kid. Of course, there wasn't all of the light pollution back then. I'd love to see them...I have looked but have never seen them.

 

[palandri]

My grandfather talked of seeing the Northern Lights around here (SW PA) when he was a kid. Of course, there wasn't all of the light pollution back then. I'd love to see them...I have looked but have never seen them.

Maybe you'll see them Thursday.

 

[snowmutt]

"....maybe as far as Central IL"?

I am all in. Will see what time, and hope to see them.

That could be really amazing, and something I never thought I would be able to see.

 

[Agent-P]

"...as far south as Colorado"

Ooh, I hope so. I'd love to see this. Looks like I'll be staying up late Wednesday night.

 

[palandri]

"...as far south as Colorado"

Ooh, I hope so. I'd love to see this. Looks like I'll be staying up late Wednesday night.

Thursday night. :smile:

 

[hopmedic]

But not as far south as northern Georgia.....

 

[jmshub]

Thursday night. :smile:

Which is kind of technically REALLY late Wednesday night!

 

[palandri]

But not as far south as northern Georgia.....

They actually went that far south in like 1860. I think they called it the carrington flare or something like that. It was such a disruptive solar flare that even telegraph wires melted and caused fires.

Addendum: I found more information on the carrington super flare:

...On September 1–2, 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm occurred. Aurorae were seen around the world, even as far south as the Caribbean; those over the Rocky Mountains were so bright that their glow awoke gold miners, who began preparing breakfast because they thought it was morning.[3] People who happened to be awake in the northeastern US could read a newspaper by the aurora's light.[5] The aurora was visible as far from the poles as Cuba and Hawaii.[6]...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

 

[Agent-P]

Thursday night. :smile:

Whoops, my bad. Thursday night.

 

[polomint]

I'm hoping it comes down as far as Manchester, UK

 

[palandri]

I'm hoping it comes down as far as Manchester, UK

That's very possible.

 

[palandri]

I am wondering now what would happen to our mobile phones if we had another carrington super flare?

 

[hopmedic]

I am wondering now what would happen to our mobile phones if we had another carrington super flare?

Hopefully it wouldn't affect the cameras! The phone can be replaced, but if it kills the camera, there would be nothing to remember it by!

 

[palandri]

The BBC just posted some recent pictures of the Northern Lights in the UK: BBC News - Northern Lights illuminate the UK

 

[LTTG]

It looks so beautiful!!!

 

[stalemate1]

Hopefully it wouldn't affect the cameras! The phone can be replaced, but if it kills the camera, there would be nothing to remember it by!

I tried taking photos of it in Norway in 2008, the camera just couldn't see it, it just showed a blank night sky. So you need a very very good camera if you are going to photograph it.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[stalemate1]

They sure are beautiful, I wish I could see them again with my own eyes.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[stalemate1]

The ones I saw in Norway looked like strands of long neon fur blowing in the wind. A camera just can't capture its beauty, no matter how expensive or advanced. You can't live an experience through a video.

It's like a video of fire is not the same as seeing it with your own eyes. It looks almost completely different... Its just too hard to explain.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[stalemate1]

come on guys, surly some one has some photos if it to share ?