EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 SWPC is now showing G3 storming going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 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 More sharing options...
aslkahuna Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Use the hourly reports from USAF they are better for auroral observing. SWPC bases their category on the three hourly synoptic data from the Boulder magnetometer. BTW, Europe is getting a show right now. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 Use the hourly reports from USAF they are better for auroral observing. SWPC bases their category on the three hourly synoptic data from the Boulder magnetometer. BTW, Europe is getting a show right now. Steve Link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlebrick Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 chances i can see it in NJ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eekuasepinniW Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 I wonder how much of an impact the magnetic north poles movement is becoming for viewing in mid latitudes? Seems it would be getting progressively more difficult at a fairly rapid pace? Last I read, it was drifting away from us over towards Russia at a rate somewhere between 20 and 40km per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riptide Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 chances i can see it in NJ? I'm looking for them. Is there a real-time tracking map around somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 I'm looking for them. Is there a real-time tracking map around somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aslkahuna Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link? The link to the USAF Hourly Magnetometer reports is available on the SWPC site under the Solar and Geophysical Data Summaries header. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherwiz Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 All the best activity is still relatively far north it looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aslkahuna Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 That's an old map based upon an earlier position of the Gemag Pole and doesn't reflect more modern data suggesting lower latitude limits for K=7 through 9. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riptide Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 All the best activity is still relatively far north it looks like. Indeed, I'm thinking you'll see some eventually. Areas below 40N will have some issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherwiz Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Indeed, I'm thinking you'll see some eventually. Areas below 40N will have some issues. That's if I'm not infested with clouds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherwiz Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 How often does this page update? Is it hourly? http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapN.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OKpowdah Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Yep, it's going north. Dang southeast ridge again. Can't catch a break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riptide Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 That's if I'm not infested with clouds Current IR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 Usually peak is around midnight so a few hours to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eekuasepinniW Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 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 More sharing options...
aslkahuna Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 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 More sharing options...
weatherwiz Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Current IR 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 More sharing options...
EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 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 More sharing options...
OSUmetstud Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 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 More sharing options...
weatherwiz Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Per Matt Noyes on twitter northern lights seen in New London, NH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eekuasepinniW Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 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 More sharing options...
battlebrick Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 I know absolutely nothing about northern lights so.. here we go with a dumb question! Do I just look up at the sky and look for it? Or is there a certain direction (north, perhaps?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternUSWX Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 I know absolutely nothing about northern lights so.. here we go with a dumb question! Do I just look up at the sky and look for it? Or is there a certain direction (north, perhaps?). Actually east and at the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSUmetstud Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 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 More sharing options...
battlebrick Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Actually east and at the ground. .. dammit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSUmetstud Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 auroral activity on the latest map is only a 7....that's a real meh...It tends to waiver back and forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.