Aurora Borealis

“Space Weather News for Dec. 26, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: An explosion on the Sun today triggered a
solar proton storm around our planet and hurled a bright coronal mass
ejection (CME) into space. Although the fast-moving (~1100 km/s) CME was
not squarely Earth-directed, it could deliver a glancing blow to Earth's
magnetosphere as early as Dec. 28th Universal Time -- that is, Thursday
night for North Americans, Friday morning for Europeans. NOAA forecasters
estimate a 10% chance of severe geomagnetic storms at middle latitudes
when the expanding cloud sweeps past Earth. Sky watchers along the
northern tier of US states (and similar latitudes) should be alert for
auroras during the nights ahead.


Woohoo, another one on its way! Maybe this time we'll have clear skies and I might have a shot at seeing it.”

“*grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*”

“What?”

“I hope we can see them here in Tenn. It was cloudy here last time, pleae be clear.”

“If they ever get this far south (33˚ 28' 14" N), the folks up in Canada are going to fry!

Consequently, I don't think I'll see any down here. You might have a shot at it Up There, but the Moon might interfere.”

“Last time, we had a clear sky in North AL and we could see it!! I'd love to see it again.”

“Aww c'mon Tilt, a little plasma burn never hurt anybody. Oops, nevermind.”

“Plasma? No Problemo! Just watch out for those neutrinos changing flavor...”

“Heh, heh, nummy neutrinos.”

“Well, they couldn't figure out why there weren't nearly as many reaching Earth as there should've been... 'til they found out that the neutrinos were changing polarity en route from the Sun.”

“It took 'em that long to figure it out?”

“Ack! Gag! Physics! Must-avoid-topic! Guess what is the ONLY class I have EVER fallen asleep in?”

“I want to see!!!!!!!!!!!!I can't see stuff like that here in Indiana can I?”

“You might be able to. You have to go out away from lights.”

“That would be cool.......By the way How is everyones day to day?”

“In alaska the northern lights are awesome. I think that everyone should come up just to see them. The only problem is that sense it doesn't get dark and in the winter it is just to d@mn cold to sit outside that you end up sitting in your car and watching them though your window. I wish that I could lay outside and watch them.”

“Okay, Skully, no physics pop-test. We'll just say they're really pretty to look at, *G*.

And Yes, Buddur, it did take 'em a while to figure that out. Seems obvious to me, LOL.

I haven't made it to Alaska yet, but I did get up to Maine this Fall. There were aurorae before I got there... and just after I left, *grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*. The universe is conspiring against me, as usual, LOL”

“We were a little upset that two people from our party showed up several hours late Thursday for the start of our hike into Maine as we knew we’d be hiking in the dark over some pretty rough terrain. I’m so glad it worked out that way because as we were scrambling over the western face of ‘Old Speck’ the whole northern horizon lit up with ribbons of shimmering, color changing lights. What a show! I only wish I’d been able to get a decent photo.”

“WOW! And I'm going to be up there in a few days! Dude, if I see what you saw, I'll full-on freak.. that is so cool!”

“Ya its that time of year again is it not?

I hope the up of Michigan get it good this year.

8)”

“CMB, I've seen a lot of pics of the northern lights from the Keweenaw recently. The lights have been absolutely gorgeous.”

“That tells me that I need to get up there!!!

Do you know a link where I can see some pics?

8)”

“Do an image search on Google.”

“Very cool pictures that you for the links!!!

8)”

“Anyone have any idea where I can find the Aurora forecast for more than 48 hours in the future? We're headed North for an extended trip and I'd really like to know if there's a better chance of the lights on any one particular night. I read there've been many occurances this summer and I'm hopeful that we'll get to see some.”

“Hmmm... SpaceWeather.com is about the best place I know, but I don't think they can predict quite that far in advance. The higher the latitude, the better the chances... Good Luck!”

“Hey Tilt that is a very cool site I go to it at least once a week!


8)”

“these are the experts UAF Geophysical Institute The forecasts are very accurate for short term, but are based on sun storm activity and the long term predictions aren't there. For the long term, the best you can do is choose the time of year when there is the best chance for clear skies and enough dark. I've seen great activity from September through April or so in Fairbanks. September can be a great time in Interior Alaska. March is also very good, with moderating temps, a winters accumulation of snow, enough daylight and enough dark.”

“sass - where it says Aurora Outlook, there's a highlighted link that says "aurora". Did you click on that? And, then click near the top where it says July and then again (next page) where it says June. WOW! I sure hope we see it.”

“Another link for the collection! thanks, Vann.

Here's the Fancy Smancy NOAA site, <G>

More predictions... (it appears to be the same info as on SpaceWeather.com, but in a less user-friendly format, <G>)

More viewing tips, etc.”

“Hm, maybe I just am too thick to see it but I'm not finding any clear predictions anywhere, past 48 hours. Thanks for trying Tilt!”

“I'm not finding any clear predictions anywhere, past 48 hours.

You aren't dense, I don't think any reputable scientist is doing them longer than 48 hours out.”

“stumbled on this great site.

Aurora webcam.com”

“forbidden”

“Ha Ha!”

“weird. It worked before. Maybe a firewall issue. I am at work now.”

“
July 24, 2008

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Laura Layton
Goddard Space Flight Center, Md.
301-286-8170
laura.a.layton@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 08-185

NASA SATELLITES DISCOVER WHAT POWERS NORTHERN LIGHTS

GREENBELT, Md. -- Researchers using a fleet of five NASA satellites
have discovered that explosions of magnetic energy a third of the way
to the moon power substorms that cause sudden brightenings and rapid
movements of the aurora borealis, called the Northern Lights.

The culprit turns out to be magnetic reconnection, a common process
that occurs throughout the universe when stressed magnetic field
lines suddenly snap to a new shape, like a rubber band that's been
stretched too far.

"We discovered what makes the Northern Lights dance," said Dr.
Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Angelopoulos is the principal investigator for the Time History of
Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission, or
THEMIS.

Substorms produce dynamic changes in the auroral displays seen near
Earth's northern and southern magnetic poles, causing a burst of
light and movement in the Northern and Southern Lights.

Substorms often accompany intense space storms that can disrupt radio
communications and global positioning system signals and cause power
outages. Solving the mystery of where, when, and how substorms occur
will allow scientists to construct more realistic substorm models and
better predict a magnetic storm's intensity and effects.

"As they capture and store energy from the solar wind, the Earth's
magnetic field lines stretch far out into space. Magnetic
reconnection releases the energy stored within these stretched
magnetic field lines, flinging charged particles back toward the
Earth's atmosphere," said David Sibeck, THEMIS project scientist at
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "They create
halos of shimmering aurora circling the northern and southern poles."

Scientists directly observe the beginning of substorms using five
THEMIS satellites and a network of 20 ground observatories located
throughout Canada and Alaska. Launched in February 2007, the five
identical satellites line up once every four days along the equator
and take observations synchronized with the ground observatories.
Each ground station uses a magnetometer and a camera pointed upward
to determine where and when an auroral substorm will begin.
Instruments measure the auroral light from particles flowing along
Earth's magnetic field and the electrical currents these particles
generate.

During each alignment, the satellites capture data that allow
scientists to precisely pinpoint where, when, and how substorms
measured on the ground develop in space. On Feb. 26, 2008, during one
such THEMIS lineup, the satellites observed an isolated substorm
begin in space, while the ground-based observatories recorded the
intense auroral brightening and space currents over North America.

These observations confirm for the first time that magnetic
reconnection triggers the onset of substorms. The discovery supports
the reconnection model of substorms, which asserts a substorm
starting to occur follows a particular pattern. This pattern consists
of a period of reconnection, followed by rapid auroral brightening
and rapid expansion of the aurora toward the poles. This culminates
in a redistribution of the electrical currents flowing in space
around Earth.

THEMIS is the fifth medium-class mission under NASA's Explorer
Program. The program, managed by the Explorers Program Office at
Goddard provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class space
investigations in heliophysics and astrophysics. The University of
California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif.,
managed the project development and is currently operating the THEMIS
mission. ATK Space (formerly Swales Aerospace) of Beltsville, Md.,
built the THEMIS satellites.

The THEMIS team's findings will appear online July 24 in Science
Express and Aug. 14 in the journal science. For more information
about the THEMIS mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/themis


-end-

”

“Cool. I need magnetic reconnection to happen in a big way between Sept. 20 and 27!”

“Lotsa good links earlier on this thread ----”

“Aurora Boringalis”

“More at NASA Science News:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/24jul_plasmabullets.htm?list100250”