Northern Lights Anyone?

[MossRoad]

We had a beautiful display in Northern Indiana last night. I was able to see it very well and we live in a highly light poluted area. I can only imagine what it looked like out in the wide open sky. Anyone else see them?

 

[Golfgar4]

The wife and I were coming back from a quick trip down to Rockford, Il. We'd stopped at a little restaurant we like to have dinner at, and on the way home, we noticed this strange light in the sky. She commented that if she didn't know better, she'd think that it was the Northern Lights! We both agreed that it just couldn't be. We were heading towards the largest community in the area, so we figured it was just city lights shining up into a low cloud cover. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[beagdog]

Saw a beautiful and impressive display (for this far south) last night. Been at least 30 years since we've seen them like this here. More people must understand the phenom now than they did then though. Last time local law enforcement and the volunteer fire dept's spent all night trying to find the source of the big "fire". /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Spaceweather.com says there's a real good chance of them again tonight. I sure hope so and it stays clear to see it.

 

[bczoom]

Had them here last night as well (N. of Pittsburgh). I'm in a deep valley so I couldn't get the full view.
Does anyone else start a phone chain when they come out?
I got a phone call and called 2 others...

 

[beagdog]

We called both of our mothers to see if they could see them, they both live in the middle of small towns, but still enough light they couldn't get a good view. Sent an email to a friend who lives a little ways north, he lives way out in the sticks and had a great view.

 

[hudley]

I got a call from a buddy at 12:30 last night/this morning. I don't get calls that late very often, so once my heart stopped beating so fast, I went out and WOW! I've never seen them so bright!

Supposedly tonight is going to be a great view as well. The phone chain sounds like a great idea!!

 

[turnkey4099]

SE WA. Very good display. Was alerted by the late news.

Streamers and sheets extending from the horizon to well past vertical, continouse brightening and dimming of the same features similar to clouds being back lit by lightning. bands extending east to west seemed to begin in the north and slowly climb upwards until fading out about 10 degrees past vertical. I had never seen the 'flashing' effect before.

Harry K

 

[rdln]

My brother called and I went outside but too cloudy.


I went chasing after one of those fires before, It turned out to be Port Huron city lights, occasionaly the clouds/atmosphere whatever are just so that you would swear theres a huge hay barn ablaze a mile to the east.

 

[johndeere2210]

They were visible here in southeast Nebraska too!

 

[mainiak1]

I went out at 4:50 Am this morning in central Maine and saw the lights also.

 

[RichZ]

Two of my dogs decided that they had to go out at 12:30 last night, and I saw them here in upstate New York. They were real bright, and were all white. Usually we get colors, but these were much brighter than usual.

 

[Ken_f]

Had a good show of them here in SE Penna.

Took a few photos and put them on the web at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~kjfrazi/2004-11-nl.html

There are two great web pages that I use to see if I will be able to see them from my area. The first one shows the coverage of the Aurora. If I am well into the Blue (like I am right now) and its clear and I don't have a moon I usually can see something. Here is the page:

http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html

This page displays more technical info on the solar wind.

http://space.rice.edu/ISTP/dials.html

What's great about this site that near the bottom you can have them send you an email when the activity is high.

Hope we get them again tonight !!

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

Spectacular photos! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We have a pretty good cloud cover tonight... bummer. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[RobS]

I was up at 2:00 this morning only to see clouds /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[weedsportpete]

There is a web site/ service that will email you if the Northern Lights are strong enough for you to see. You put in your latitude and number of hours away from GMT, along with a minimum threshold of 'Aurora strength' (called kp index), and your email address, and you get emails when your area can expect to see them. Works great. If it weren't for the snow, I'd have seen them last night.

http://www.aurorachasers.com/Adec/Subscribe/index_html

 

[DocHeb]

Just coming home from work tonight - pretty amazing display out there right now. Extends from the horizen to a good distance past overhead. Mostly green, but some shades of red are there also - have never seen them like this before.

 

[dlabrie]

Saw them this morning around 5:30 in Northern NH. They were all white! Like floodlights shining up with bands of light floating behind them.