aurora borealis

shaggydoug · Post by **shaggydoug** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:29 pm

2 nights ago, I'm watching the late local news and they show a photo taken from my town of the Aurora Borealis. I go outside to see if I can see it and no dice. I'm thinking, hmmmm......must be something I have to see earlier in the night. So last night, I'm watching for it starting from sunset on going outside every 10 minutes or so. No dice again. I think, must not have happened tonight then. Bummer. Watch the late local news and there is the story again saying how cool it is (not specifically mentioning my town but the area).

Can someone explain to me when the best time for this is? What exactly am I looking for? I've seen pictures of course but never anything like it in real life. I won't consider my life complete without it.

- shaggy

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:41 pm

Pictures of auroras are about ten zillion percent more impressive than the auroras themselves, unfortunately. And if you're dealing with light pollution (street lamps, neighboring porch or garage lights), then your own ability to see the auroras will be strongly compromised.

www.darksky.org - Down with light pollution.
http://www.sel.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html - Auroral activity.

~Neal

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:42 pm

Oh, and ACK! Here is a link that directly attacks your questions. Sorry, Doug!

~Neal

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:48 pm

I've never seen the Northern Lights. One day someone will give a month's preparation and I will drive up north.

The stories I hear from relatives in the days before "light pollution" was rampant of Aurora Boreallis are amazing. To have it actually appear that shy is coming apart or rippling is mind blowing and inconceivable to me.

shaggydoug · Post by **shaggydoug** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:17 pm

Thanks for the info Meal.

I've got a pretty dark viewing site in my back yard with lights off all around me and the fact that I'm on the edge of my town with very minimal street lights. Is the best time to view around midnight then? Yes, I'm normally up at that time. That site doesn't really say but it does talk about the "midnight aurora".

- shaggy

Kratz · Post by **Kratz** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:21 pm

I've seen them in Wyoming before, particularly when out in the mountains after dark. Haven't seen them in years and years though.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:25 pm

shaggydoug wrote:I've got a pretty dark viewing site in my back yard with lights off all around me and the fact that I'm on the edge of my town with very minimal street lights. Is the best time to view around midnight then?

Someone may correct me, but I've never noticed a preferential time to view them. I've seen them in the early evening (on my way to go study at the library or a friend's house when I was in college), in the late evening (bar time in Michigan was 2am), and in the very early morning (driving across the wanton wastelands of northern Wisconsin). Whenever the big bright shiny face of the moon isn't up goofing with your dark-adapted eyes is best.

This Friday is the New Moon, so (this week and next) any time of the night is as good as any other, as far as I know.

~Neal
[edit: clarification *and* typo corrections]

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:26 pm

A great site for us mid-latitude geeks wanting to see the auroras is right here. It includes real-time forecasting and lots of info/links that are excellent.

And Meal is right, look at this pic I found on the DPR forums (not mine):

ISO 1600
18mm
f3.5
25 second exposure
Neat Image
levels

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:33 pm

I've never come close to seeing an aurora that looks like that in person (and I've seen them at least fifty times). But cameras are much better at taking in light and putting it on film (or CCDs) than your eyes are.

Neat shot, Enough!
~Neal

MHS · Post by **MHS** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:03 pm

Shining down on Dallas, can you picture that?

Sorry, I always get that song from the Muppet Movie stuck in my head.

Growing up in North Dakota, I saw the AB numerous times with very little light pollution and clear skies, but I've never seen the colors look the way they do in pictures. Best I ever saw was just rippling pale green, nearly white beams.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 4:30 pm

Actually I heard they are pretty cool looking in person, but I seem to recall that you also need to be in northern Canada/Alaska to really see the good ones.

We were too far north to see them when I was in Greenland.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 8:30 pm

LordMortis wrote:I've never seen the Northern Lights. One day someone will give a month's preparation and I will drive up north.

The stories I hear from relatives in the days before "light pollution" was rampant of Aurora Boreallis are amazing. To have it actually appear that shy is coming apart or rippling is mind blowing and inconceivable to me.

The weather chick this morning said a colleague of hers saw them last night in Arkansas. They were showing pictures taken somewhere in the Chicago area, but certainly nowhere near me where the only northren lights are the pinkish glow emitted by a strip mall parking lot about 2 blocks away.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 11:43 am

I've seen them before in New England and in rural Michigan. To a casual glance, they just look like clouds -- nothing like the pictures. It's like the difference between seeing a photo of the Milky Way, and the faint gray smudge that it really looks when you can see it at all. Think of slowly shifting, pale curtains of light above the north horizon. If you're lucky, you might see a faint hint of color.[/url]

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:36 pm

I've seen them a couple of times, back around '90, right here in central Indiana. No, they don't look like the pictures. The first time, I saw them, I could tell something was a bit off, but I thought they were just high clouds faintly lit from beneath - as if there were a large fire or something.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:03 pm

CSL? How are they in your parts? The continental states can't be a good example of how cool they are in person.

Windows95 · Post by **Windows95** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 6:56 pm

It has been fantastic here in southern Ontario as of late. I've been working midnights so I've had lots of chances to watch. The lack of moon and shift in winds (blowing in clean air from the north instead of polluted air from the south) has made for a great viewing environment.