Attention! Aurora alerts tonight!

[pgriz]

When I lived in Alaska there was no real issue with light contamination for seeing...
Then again we could drive 5 minutes out of the city and be in the mountains and what little light contamination there was from the city... didn't matter a bit. It was literally like a swath of solid glow in the dark paint across the sky.

Sadly, I took it for granted then. We never intended on moving back to the lower 48.

How does the song go? " ya never knew what ya had until ya lost it..." (need a country drawl for that one).

 

[MLeeK]

Annnnnnd... it's raining and crappy here today so the prognosis for tonight? Not good. Damn.

 

[Big Mike]

I signed up for E-mail alerts when the aurora forecast is high for my area...but unfortunately, they don't come with much warning....and I don't sit by my e-mail during the evenings.

So a few times in the last few weeks...I get to work and see that there was an alert for the night before.

Maybe I'll pack my camera with me tonight, and after my class lets out...I'll look around. But, I'm in a big city and don't think I'll have the inclination to drive too far.

 

[pgriz]

I signed up for E-mail alerts when the aurora forecast is high for my area...but unfortunately, they don't come with much warning....and I don't sit by my e-mail during the evenings.

So a few times in the last few weeks...I get to work and see that there was an alert for the night before.

Maybe I'll pack my camera with me tonight, and after my class lets out...I'll look around. But, I'm in a big city and don't think I'll have the inclination to drive too far.

Mike, you need to get your smartphone hooked up to your e-mail. Then, you never miss an alert. On the other hand, you'll be bothered by every useless e-mail that you get. Unless you have a really good spam/junk filter.

 

[Big Mike]

Alas, I don't have a smart phone. I almost got one, as my wife wrecked her phone, so we need a new one anyway....but to 'get the deal', we'd have to sign up for a long term plan at $50+ per month. That's way too much considering we talk on our phone, a combined 20 minutes a month.

 

[FSJeffo]

I was stuck in Edmonton last night. Home now, but its totally clouded over here darnitJM

 

[fokker]

Anybody see anything??

 

[analog.universe]

We've had cloudy nights this week... :-/

There's a stream supposed to hit us tonite and tomorrow though, and another CME projected to arrive on the 11th. The sunspot that produced the X-5 flare this week is also pointed directly at the earth. So lots of potential still the next few days.

 

[Big Mike]

Yup, cloudy here as well.

 

[pgriz]

I'm tempted to go to Ottawa. There the rising hot air can clear almost any cloud cover. Except for the days when the rolling fog of mendatious obfuscation sets it. And that, unfortunately is never truly dissipated. So I just don't know... :er:

 

[MLeeK]

If it's a strong aurora you'll be able to see it with every bit of light contamination you can possibly find. Stand under a street light and stare up just beyond... You'll see it. You might not be able to photograph it, but you will be able to see it.
I saw someone's photos today of the aurora AND the sunrise in the same shot. It is not a 'faint' thing and you won't miss it even with the city lights for viewing.