Re: Northern (or Southern) Lights

[Kaere]

Who else lives in Southern NZ? We can't all descend on Tim for the whole trip, he'd be twitching after one day

Mordae? Hamstie? Mirror?

[Stirky]

We'll visit them all! I also have a friend who has a house on both islands, we'll crash in her southern one lol!

I would go tomorrow if I could!!

[Kaere]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/solar-flare-could-prompt-brilliant-northern-lights-display-1.2762361

I'm going to try to get a picture or video

The Northern Lights may be especially brilliant during an expected geomagnetic storm Friday after a sun spot erupted early this week.

The sun spot eruption caused a particularly strong solar flare, according to Spaceweather.com. On the so-called Richter scale of solar flares, it registered as an X1, making it one of the biggest possible.

The flare could have prompted the sun to produce a coronal mass ejection (CME) or a set of gas bubbles threaded with magnetic field lines, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service Space Weather Prediction Center.

CME can affect solar wind flow and "produce disturbances that strike the Earth with sometimes catastrophic results," according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration website.

It can impact high-frequency radio communication and other communication devices. Solar flares can also knock out man-made satellites and power grids, and affect navigation equipment on airplanes.

A 1989 geomagnetic storm knocked out the Hydro-Québec power grid and left millions of people without electricity for up to nine hours.

HIgh-frequency radio communication was expected to be impacted shortly after the solar flare.

If the CME is heading toward Earth, a geomagnetic storm could occur in the next few days, according to the centre. If the storm does occur, the Northern Lights will be seen farther South than they usually are.

People living in some northern U.S. states, like Maine, Michigan and Minnesota, could see the phenomenon, SpaceWeather.com reported.

[Rockhopper]

You're all welcome! Better to see 'em from Invercargill but. We only see the really strong ones from here. Have an Island party but I don't imbibe alchohol now.

Inver'gill is only 1800 miles from Antarctica. World's most southern city I'm told.

Tim.

[Kaere]

Ah Rock, thank you very much! Will definitely take you up on it if and when the time comes around We're silly enough, you can get a contact high lol... I don't drink much either, just not my thing. A sip or two would put me right to sleep nowadays hehe.

[Stirky]

Yay island party!! I don't drink either, nor does Ags so you'll be in good company! Who needs alcohol anyways eh??!!

I wish I could afford the flight and the time off, could do with a holiday lol!

I still like the look of staying in those glass domes in Norway though, they are stunning!

[Rockhopper]

The Ice Hotel Stirks? That's a spot I want to stay in sometime.

Tim.

[Stirky]

No I don't think it is where the ice hotel is, although that would be cool too. It's a place that has all these little glass pod rooms, where you can literally lie in bed all cozy and look up at the sky to see the lights! So awesome!!!

Fancy a trip??

[Stirky]

Oh it's Finland not Norway, but hey still very awesome:

http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/

[Rockhopper]

I knew it was up there somewhere!

Yeah I know of those pods Stirks, never been in 'em but.

Always fancy a trip!

Tim.

[Kaere]

Took my boys on an adventure tonight. Went out beyond the light pollution and had a really nice look. Lots of clouds but still got in a nice view will go out again tomorrow night if the sky is clearer again.

[Stirky]

Oh amazing Kaere, I bet you had a fantastic time!!

When I was at the pagan festival the stars were amazing there. Me and the boys stood for ages looking at them and saw lots of shooting stars. Then my daughter wanted to go to the toilet at 3am, and wow the stars were even more amazing then than they had been before we went to bed!!

[Stirky]

Yes Tim a trip to those pods in Finland would be amazing!! Although if the aurora wasn't playing I would want to stay there until it did!!!

[Rogue]

Sun Hurls Two CMEs at Earth, Possibly Supercharging the Northern Lights
Catherine GriffinFirst Posted: Sep 11, 2014 12:00 PM


On Sept. 10, our sun ramped up its activity. The sunspot AR2158 erupted, producing an X1.6-class solar flare. The resulting flash of ultraviolet radiation from the explosion ionized the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere and actually disturbed HF radio communications for more than an hour. Now, it turns out that this flare has resulted in a coronal mass ejection, which is headed directly toward Earth.

X-class flares are the most powerful type of solar flares. Like hurricanes, solar flares are classified based on their intensity. The weakest are known as A-class flares, followed by B, then C and M. X-class flares in particular need to be watched since they pose a risk to astronauts and satellites in orbit when they're aimed directly at Earth. In addition, these flares can produce coronal mass ejections, or CMEs.

A CME is an event which sends billions of tons of solar particles into space. When a CME is hurled toward Earth, like in this case, it can reach our planet's atmosphere days after the initial burst. Currently, officials expect for a pair of CMEs to arrive on Sept. 12th, according to spaceweather.com

What's most interesting is that strong geomagnetic storms are possible on Sept. 12th due to the coronal mass ejections. This means that it's possible that the storms could supercharge the aurora; and even skywatchers at mid-latitudes could see the Northern Lights in days ahead.
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/17119/20140911/sun-hurls-two-cmes-earth-possibly-supercharging-northern-lights.htm

[Stirky]

I saw this earlier Rogue Still a slim chance of us seeing them here, but you never know, I'm going on aurora watch tonight

[Rogue]

Good luck, and to Kaere and the boys expedition too. Would love to be out looking.

[Kaere]

You're always welcome, Rogue

[Rockhopper]

Couldn't see a damned thing last night, it was hosing down!

Tonight there is a pinkish glow far to the south of here.

Tim.

[Stirky]

Nowt here, but that was to be expected I suppose *pout*

[Stirky]

If we saw them at the latitude I live, then it would have to be a pretty big storm!!!

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