Entries filed under 'northern lights'

Aurora Watch: Solar Flares Are Lighting Up the Northern Skies

Aurora fans, take note: What is claimed to be the largest solar radiation storm since 2005 has outer space sizzling, an event that in the days ahead may yield some dramatic displays of the Northern Lights. The impact of a large solar flare first reached earth on Sunday night, according to a Washington Post report, and will continue to bombard the planet through Wednesday. The article states that the flare's elevated radiation "is mostly a concern for satellite disruptions and astronauts in ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on January 24, 2012 9:53 PM & Tagged aurora and northern lights | permalink | Comments



Two Spectacular Surprises in the Sky

It's been a good week for gazing upwards. Earlier this week, a "coronal mass ejection" on the sun created an epic geomagnetic storm that caused an unusually widespread outbreak of Northern Lights. This particular aurora borealis appeared in skies over much of North America, even in relatively southerly latitudes. Check out this skywatcher's video from Michigan for a sampling (don't miss the amazing action around the 0:17 mark). Then, this morning here in the Seattle area, we were treated to a ...

Posted by Steve T on October 31, 2011 5:32 PM & Tagged Mount Rainier, aurora borealis, northern lights and sunrise | permalink | Comments



A Sight for Skywatching Eyes: The Northern Lights

All promotional videos should be this visually arresting. Check out this view of the aurora borealis, documented by a Finnish production company (Flatlight Films) to promote tourism in Finland. Looks chilly but beautiful. Persuasive stuff. Solar activity in late September caused a spike in aurora activity. To monitor such activity in America's most aurora-friendly state, check out this forecast site maintained by the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. When was the last ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on October 4, 2011 2:14 PM & Tagged aurora borealis, northern lights and video | permalink | Comments



Busy Week for Nighttime Skywatchers

Enjoy a little late-night skywatching? Well then, these are interesting times. For starters, the annual Perseid Meteor Shower is underway now. According to this article in Space.com, this year's show will be most visible in the predawn hours through Thursday, Aug. 11. Meteor shower activity actually peaks this weekend (Aug. 12-13), but it will be competing with a full moon on those days. The brightness of the moon will considerably reduce the visibility of the meteors. It's still worth a look, ...

Posted by Steve T on August 12, 2011 4:43 PM & Tagged astronomy, aurora borealis, northern lights and perseid meteor shower | permalink | Comments