Here comes the sun storm

[GG]

Alan Boyle writes: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory has captured what appears to be a disturbance in the force - on the sun. Astronomers say Sunday morning's eruption sent out a blast of electrically charged particles that should create brilliant auroral displays on Tuesday night.

"This eruption is directed right at us, and is expected to get here early in the day on August 4th," astronomer Leon Golub said in a statement from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "It's the first major Earth-directed eruption in quite some time."

Fortunately, it's not all that big of an eruption: The X-ray blast rated a C3 on the Space Weather Prediction Center's scale, which suggests there'll be no disruption for power grids, satellites, astronauts on the International Space Station or navigation services on airplanes. Stronger space storms can have more serious impacts. In 1989, for example, a huge solar outburst sparked a nine-hour electrical blackout in Quebec - and a more moderate blast that occurred in April apparently turned a telecom satellite into a zombie.

The biggest impact from Sunday's solar storm is expected to be that killer light show: Observers in the northern tier of the United States and similar latitudes should be on the watch for rippling waves of reddish or greenish light in the night sky. And who knows? The northern lights have been known to dip down to Colorado or even farther south on occasion.

Read more:  http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/02/4802055-here-comes-the-sun-storm

[nathanm]

Sadly, it generally takes a much more vigorous flare to get aurora this far south. Neat when you can see it. A few years back when I was driving over to Arkansas one evening, there was pretty strong sky glow to the north. I kept thinking it was towns I was passing until I realized I was out in the middle of freaking nowhere. Then it dawned on me that it must be aurora. Sure enough, when I stopped at the side of the road and looked higher up in the sky there were multicolored streamers and whatnot.

It was just weird that at the horizon it looked exactly like a small city's sky glow.

That was a pretty good period for aurora watching at our latitude. There were several flares that caused aurora nearly overhead in the succeeding weeks.

[Gaspar]

Sadly, it generally takes a much more vigorous flare to get aurora this far south. Neat when you can see it. A few years back when I was driving over to Arkansas one evening, there was pretty strong sky glow to the north. I kept thinking it was towns I was passing until I realized I was out in the middle of freaking nowhere. Then it dawned on me that it must be aurora. Sure enough, when I stopped at the side of the road and looked higher up in the sky there were multicolored streamers and whatnot.

It was just weird that at the horizon it looked exactly like a small city's sky glow.

That was a pretty good period for aurora watching at our latitude. There were several flares that caused aurora nearly overhead in the succeeding weeks.

I go salmon fishing off the coast of Alaska.  To see it for the first time really freaks you out.  Especially when you are out on the water in a one-man boat in the middle of nowhere. 

[Conan71]

I think the PERSEIDS meteor showers will be here before long.  Best seen outside the city

http://www.chiff.com/science/perseids.htm

[Dana431]

About 20 years ago, my friends and I saw the northern lights out at Lake Bixoma.  I wonder if we will be able to see them there this time.

[patric]

Aurorae have been visible in Oklahoma in years past.
They have to be the bigger ones, usually associated with large Coronal Mass Ejections (and the associated power and communications failures) and you have to move about an hour away from the skyglow of the city lights.

Last one I saw was in central Wisconsin and it was right overhead.  Just no words to describe that sort of beauty, or the power it takes to create it.

[GG]

I go salmon fishing off the coast of Alaska.  To see it for the first time really freaks you out.  Especially when you are out on the water in a one-man boat in the middle of nowhere.  

Now that,  I would like to experience.  That is good enough to go onto a "bucket list".  

[Red Arrow]

Aurorae have been visible in Oklahoma in years past.
They have to be the bigger ones, usually associated with large Coronal Mass Ejections (and the associated power and communications failures) and you have to move about an hour away from the skyglow of the city lights.

Last one I saw was in central Wisconsin and it was right overhead.  Just no words to describe that sort of beauty, or the power it takes to create it.

I have to ask.... what color?

[patric]

I have to ask.... what color?

The one I saw 'up north' I recall was a sort of a swirling, pulsating gray which, at sometimes, looked like a big blender, or the biggest light show you have ever seen.  Was several years ago...
Im aware they also come in a variety of colors, but just not at the time I was observing (about an hour or so). 

[custosnox]

My daughter is visiting a friend up in Idaho, so I called her and told her she needed to try and catch it.  Still haven't gotten a response as to if she was able to.

[Hoss]

My daughter is visiting a friend up in Idaho, so I called her and told her she needed to try and catch it.  Still haven't gotten a response as to if she was able to.

They're saying 2am CT tonight (8/4 am) will be the best time to look for it, specifically starting between 40 and 50 degrees latitude and further north.  Idaho is well within that limit.  They expect coloration to be reds and greens....

Tomorrow and the next day will be prime for it as well.  The event is supposed to last at least 4 days.

NOAAs space weather page is here:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/today.html

Not necessarily for the layman.

[custosnox]

They're saying 2am CT tonight (8/4 am) will be the best time to look for it, specifically starting between 40 and 50 degrees latitude and further north.  Idaho is well within that limit.  They expect coloration to be reds and greens....

Tomorrow and the next day will be prime for it as well.  The event is supposed to last at least 4 days.

NOAAs space weather page is here:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/today.html

Not necessarily for the layman.

Well, I had told her, but if she misses out on it it's on her.  She's lucky I told her as it is since I'm not happy with her anyhow.  Seems it is a hard thing to remember to call and check in every couple of days.

[patric]

Another event on the way, here's photos of the first:

http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/gallery_01aug10.htm?PHPSESSID=5t065j7c05hgu38tajogntqg73

[nathanm]

Generally speaking, the best time to view aurora is around local midnight. (which is not the clock's midnight when DST is in effect)

Obviously, the changing strength and magnetic orientation of the solar wind can alter that, but as a rule of thumb, all else being equal, midnight is the time you want to be looking.