Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,584
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    23Yankee
    Newest Member
    23Yankee
    Joined

Solar Blast


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 197
  • Created
  • Last Reply

GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS: A major geomagnetic storm is in progress following the impact of a CME on August 5th around 1800 UT. Sky watchers at all latitudes should be alert for auroras after nightfall. Tip: the best hours for aurora sightings are usually around local midnight.

Reports of Northern Lights are coming in from many European countries includingGermany, Denmark, Scotland and the Netherlands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

pmapN.gif

That one always gets thrown around which is a shame because it's the absolute worst... even during the KP of 9 in 2003 the "edge" depicted never really crossed the US/CA border.

I like this one... it usually matches what I see here on the ground pretty well and updates every 5 mins:

http://www.spacew.com/www/aurvis.gif

"This plot estimates the VISIBILITY of auroral activity from any location in the northern hemisphere, assuming a dark moonless sky and low light pollution. It is updated every 5 minutes with the latest solar wind data. The model computes the estimated brightness of auroral activity and plots this on the map as a solid bright color that varies from green (NIL to low levels of auroral activity) to brown/orange (low to moderate levels of activity) to red (moderate to high levels of activity). The brighter the red, the more intense the activity. Those areas which may be able to spot activity are most often within the zone of fading color on the outskirts of the plotted auroral oval. The extent of the fading color zone on the outskirts of the oval is based on the estimated height and intensity of auroral luminosity."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 00Z 3 hour ap/Kp values were 154/7+ which is G3. Since this is a synoptic observation time this will be the current rating assigned to the storm. The 0100Z ob was 111/7- for the field data. The initial phase is over and we are entering the main phase of the storm which will feature lower levels of activity but more variability and the possibility of substorming. This is a fast moving CME so the storm will probably last about 12-18 hours.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Current IR

northeast.ir.gif

When it was light out there were still a quite a bit of clouds around, mostly fair weather cumulus and stuff. Although, just off to my north there was one very localized shower...it was weird. It developed/sat virtually right over the airport (BDL)...they got something like over 1'' of rain in around an hour or something. It was virtually just confined to the airport though. Perhaps with the loss of daytime heating and such the clouds will dissipate. The high clouds could be a problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That one always gets thrown around which is a shame because it's the absolute worst... even during the KP of 9 in 2003 the "edge" depicted never really crossed the US/CA border.

I like this one... it usually matches what I see here on the ground pretty well and updates every 5 mins:

http://www.spacew.com/www/aurvis.gif

"This plot estimates the VISIBILITY of auroral activity from any location in the northern hemisphere, assuming a dark moonless sky and low light pollution. It is updated every 5 minutes with the latest solar wind data. The model computes the estimated brightness of auroral activity and plots this on the map as a solid bright color that varies from green (NIL to low levels of auroral activity) to brown/orange (low to moderate levels of activity) to red (moderate to high levels of activity). The brighter the red, the more intense the activity. Those areas which may be able to spot activity are most often within the zone of fading color on the outskirts of the plotted auroral oval. The extent of the fading color zone on the outskirts of the oval is based on the estimated height and intensity of auroral luminosity."

Cool, thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That one always gets thrown around which is a shame because it's the absolute worst... even during the KP of 9 in 2003 the "edge" depicted never really crossed the US/CA border.

I like this one... it usually matches what I see here on the ground pretty well and updates every 5 mins:

http://www.spacew.com/www/aurvis.gif

"This plot estimates the VISIBILITY of auroral activity from any location in the northern hemisphere, assuming a dark moonless sky and low light pollution. It is updated every 5 minutes with the latest solar wind data. The model computes the estimated brightness of auroral activity and plots this on the map as a solid bright color that varies from green (NIL to low levels of auroral activity) to brown/orange (low to moderate levels of activity) to red (moderate to high levels of activity). The brighter the red, the more intense the activity. Those areas which may be able to spot activity are most often within the zone of fading color on the outskirts of the plotted auroral oval. The extent of the fading color zone on the outskirts of the oval is based on the estimated height and intensity of auroral luminosity."

meh...I was watching that map in Oct 2003...I remember oranges and reds being over our head for a short time. Anyway, you don't even have to be in the orange/red to see it. Usually the white edge works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway, you don't even have to be in the orange/red to see it. Usually the white edge works.

I guess that's what I was trying to say... it's my main complaint. If someone in DC or Chicago looked at it, they'd think they'd have no chance when in fact they do.

Someone in a spaceweather forum said that if the aurora is overhead, it's visible along the horizon as far away as 400 miles? No idea if that's true.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess that's what I was trying to say... it's my main complaint. If someone in DC or Chicago looked at it, they'd think they'd have no chance when in fact they do.

Someone in a spaceweather forum said that if the aurora is overhead, it's visible along the horizon as far away as 400 miles? No idea if that's true.

I think that's somewhat true. SPW mentions that the aurora can be 5 or 6 degrees poleward of your location and you will still be able to see it. That's about 300-360 miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...