Northern Lights

[Antediluvian]

After a significant coronal mass ejection on Tuesday evening there is a high probability of stunning Northern Lights over the next day or 2. Depends whether the magnetic orientation of the storm is attracted or repelled by the earths field, but if it attracts they are expecting high altitude ion storms over most of the northern hemispehere above the tropic of cancer, look up tonight!

http://www.solarcycle24.com/
http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/

[canuck]

Thanks for the headsup! We likely have too many city lights to be able to see anything, but I'll give it a look.

[_Ju_]

I saw them....oh no, just clouds! ;)

I hope I get to see them tonight.....would be a first for me.

[Antediluvian]

Yes unfortunately it depends on clouds, ambient light and whether or not the storm is captured. But with the right conditions it is expected to be stunning.

All aurora groups are on high alert and they have begun locking down power distributions systems across north america and powering down at risk satellites just in case.

[Saveman]

Here's hoping the cloud clears long enough for us to see the show.

Thanks for the info Antediluvian :)

[percy toboggan]

Does anyone know any websites which offer for sale good sized photos of the Aurora Borealis?

[Antediluvian]

Does anyone know any websites which offer for sale good sized photos of the Aurora Borealis?

This is a good one

http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/gallery.html

Wikipedia has dozens of links to aurora sites some of which have photo galleries

[kas]

Does anyone know any websites which offer for sale good sized photos of the Aurora Borealis?


Also some local images here
http://www.highlandeye.com/gallery.asp?catid=24&x=8&y=6

[Seabird]

The data shown on the SOHO Web site seems to indicate that there was probably a display between 6 and 7pm.
Needless to say unless you were lucky it was cloudy and raining in Caithness.
Did anyone get a glimpse ?

Colin

[percy toboggan]

thanks to kas and antediluvian for the links.

Seeing the 'northern lights' is one of my wife's most cherished ambitions.
I'd quite like too en all.

[porshiepoo]

I've never seen em either. :(
I think we need some kind of email warning to let everyone interested know lol.

I'm determined to see them at some point.

[crashbandicoot1979]

Lived here almost all my life and never seen them - always too cloudy :~(

[kas]

There is a glow (greyish with a hint of green) right now over Holborn Head. I went out the town but it is just a glow, no real colour or beams. I saw a shooting star though.

Keep them eyes open.

[porshiepoo]

There is a glow (greyish with a hint of green) right now over Holborn Head. I went out the town but it is just a glow, no real colour or beams. I saw a shooting star though.

Keep them eyes open.

My daughter and I saw a shooting star Monday night in the Clyth area (obviously thats where we were, not the star lol).
Did you wish on it? I did, still haven't seen a horse appear in my firld yet theough. :~(

[Antediluvian]

The peak of todays storm passed earlier, its a kpi 6/7. Predictions is it will intensify over the next 2 days and should become a kpi 9.

Lots of space weather sites have e-mail warnings to highlight potential aurora activity, worth singing upto if you want a heads up of when to look out.

Clouds is always a poblem though.

And hope your horse appears soon porshie!!

[highlander]

Just went outside to check, nope its too cloudy at the mo, but will look again later, i think they are a fantastic sight, and once they were that bright, my dogs were having great fun chasing around the field trying to catch the lights LOL

[kas]

Just went outside to check, nope its too cloudy at the mo, but will look again later, i think they are a fantastic sight, and once they were that bright, my dogs were having great fun chasing around the field trying to catch the lights LOL


Highlander look to Orkney now. They are glowing around the clouds.

[r.rackstraw]

Northern lights showing now 10.50. Just a modest display but quite visible.

[kas]

A nice green glow showing above the clouds. There is also lightning in the Pentland Firth, are the 2 linked or just a coincidence.

Tried to get photos but only managed a little green blob in the sky, its nothing like what it really looked like. I must learn how to work the camera.

[topotheuk]

Just been driving home from the panto tonight and saw a lovely display of lights. Green dancing across the sky. Saw three shooting stars too, but can anyone tell me what the 3 flashes were I just saw in the last 10 minutes or so. Quite clear flashes?

[kas]

Thats probably the lightning I have been seeing

[topotheuk]

hmmmm, I didn't think it looked like lightning. It definately wasn't fork and I didn't think enought of the sky lit up to be sheet lightning, but I suppose it couldn't have been anything else, or could it?????

[highlander]

FANTASTIC!!!!!! the colours are beautiful, get outside NOW

[Antediluvian]

Auroral activity can induce electrical storms if the conditions are right

Too overcast here to see anything, am very jealous and hope you all enjoy it though.

[Boozeburglar]

Thanks for the heads up. I will spend the rest of the evening in the garden, lying on my back.

Not through choice, I have just had one too many and can't get back from the shed.

[topotheuk]

I keep popping out to my front door to see them, my hubby is going crackers cos I keep opening the door and letting the heat out. Hey, you only see them now and again so I think he can suffer a little, don't you!!

[kas]

hmmmm, I didn't think it looked like lightning. It definately wasn't fork and I didn't think enought of the sky lit up to be sheet lightning, but I suppose it couldn't have been anything else, or could it?????

Maybe it wasnt lightning.They were flashes in the firth and since Orkney and Shetland were on a 70 % chance of Thunder and lighting tonight, I presumed that was what it was.

[topotheuk]

I look onto the Firth on the Skarfskerry side, so maybe it was lightning. Off to have a cuppa and sit at my window to watch em before bed. g'nite

[kas]

Just discovered the Geminids meteor shower peaks yesterday and today, so thats why there are so many shooting stars tonight.

[Antediluvian]

Just watching the current auroral oval and it looks like there is much more activity forecast over the coming few hours.

Interestingly another solar flare has just occurred which could add to this storm and keep it going into next week.

And there's the end of the meteor shower, isn't the sky great!

[highlander]

Tried to get a photo of it, all i got was a black screen lol must be very expensive cameras they use to get that great photos, OHHHHHHH SANTAAAAAAA lol

[Geo]

Here is a nice article about taking pictures of aurora, with exposure times etc at the bottom: http://www.ephotozine.com/articles/viewarticle.cfm?id=66

For anyone who missed them last night I have some other Northern Lights pictures (not taken by me!) on my website: http://www.hookeslaw.com/caithness.htm . Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the small pictures for a bigger version.

Last night was a great show; northern lights, shooting stars and lightning in the distance!

[groatsgirl]

Northern Lights were great around 11pm last night !! But it was soooo cold ,only managed to stand outside for 15mins before running back in to the fire !!!!! But well worth a look !!

[DarkAngel]

I also seen this aswell..Mostly green..I live in the country and they were quite clear although the sky was a little cloudy. Didnt see 3 flashes as went inside as i was shivvvvvvering with coldness!!! Brrr!!

[Ricco]

Here is a nice article about taking pictures of aurora, with exposure times etc at the bottom: http://www.ephotozine.com/articles/viewarticle.cfm?id=66

For anyone who missed them last night I have some other Northern Lights pictures (not taken by me!) on my website: http://www.hookeslaw.com/caithness.htm . Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the small pictures for a bigger version.

Last night was a great show; northern lights, shooting stars and lightning in the distance!

Geo, thanks a lot for those links. I have been trying to learn how to take night shots with my new camera (thanks, Santa) and getting nowhere. Maybe now I will make some progress. :D