Aurora Borealis

[Snowbear]

All I can say is - WOW!!!! Last night and this morning have been the most spectacular displays I have EVER seen. And they are audible - they kind of crackle.
This little video's resolution isn't that great, but what I was watching this morning was similar - Words cannot describe them adequately, but I'll try - a corona started directly overhead with the colors (purple, pink, red, blue, green) in bands and spirals shooting off all the way to the horizon in 360 degrees!! They were so bright (and there was no moon) that I didn't even need a flashlight when I fed the beasties this morning.

 

[ScubaTexan]

OMG!! That's TOTALLY AWESOME!! You are one very lucky individual. I have ALWAYS wanted to see the Aurora Borealis. The coolest thing I've seen so far was a full moon at 35,000 feet, flying over the North Atlantic, but seeing the Aurora would even eclipse that (so to speak).

I'm totally jealous...ut:

 

[GratefulDiver]

Should be even better tonight. There was a major solar flare that hits the earth today. They are predicting that it will be visible in parts of the country that rarely see it.

 

[ScubaScott]

yeah thats pretty cool. We get good displays of them here in northern Ontario, but the best display I ever saw was travelling through Saskatchewan on a cold January Night...... it really was "awe inspiring".....

SS

 

[Mo2vation]

A movie with some funny moments with the 'rorra.

I saw it once coming back on a biz trip from New York. It was a later flight - probably around 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM. It was November 3, 2000.

We took off from EWR flying to LAX - and about 30 minutes into the flight, the Cap announced "out the right side of the plane...."

It was a pretty full flight, so we all jammed over to the right side of the plane. Seeing it from the air was amazing. Like a green curtain, just waving at us.

After about 20 minutes everyone returned to their seats, but I stayed glued for well over an hour...how many times am I gonna see this from So Cal?

I'll never forget it.

K


PS: Snowbear - I hate you, I'm jealous, and, did I mention I hate you???

 

[caymaniac]

What great color. We see the northern lights maybe once a year here, but not with that kind of color, it's usually just green. The best one I saw was maybe 1970 or 71, it filled the whole sky and was red, green and yellow with continuing waves. That purple and pink are awesome

Stay warm,
Caymaniac

 

[Snowbear]

GratefulDiver once bubbled...
Should be even better tonight. There was a major solar flare that hits the earth today. They are predicting that it will be visible in parts of the country that rarely see it.

They're supposed to be visible (if the sky's clear) as far south as Northern Oregon.

ScubaTexan once bubbled...
OMG!! That's TOTALLY AWESOME!! You are one very lucky individual....
I'm totally jealous...

Yep I am Just another reason I'll probably always live up here. I often bundle up late at night and recline on a lawn chair watching them and have been known to pull over my car and watch from the roof 'til I get too cold.

Tonight the plan is to put on all my turnout gear and climb up on the roof of the fire station. It's supposed to be clear and cold, so should be a good show!

 

[adder70]

I heard or read yesterday that auroras would be visible as far south as Texas and Florida. :whoa:

Unfortunately I didn't see anything on the way to work here in Virginia this morning.

 

[jiveturkey]

I've seen them a bunch of times in Newfoundland but never on that scale. They're beautiful. If you shout, they'll shimmer.

 

[Green Mountain]

All I see is a blue square with a little symbol in the corner.

Is the aurora borealis the same thing as northern lights?

Is this early in the year to be seeing them?