Watch the skies

by Doctor Science

The aurora borealis may be visible from New Jersey tonight! Also New York, Philadelphia, DC, and much of Ohio!

From Accuweather. Graphic by Al Blasko.

A solar flare that occurred around 2 a.m. Thursday morning may create a spectacular display of northern lights Saturday evening. The midlevel flare had a long duration and was directed at Earth.

Viewing conditions in my area *may* be best around 8 pm -- give or take 7 hours -- so I've got the OVATION Aurora forecast site bookmarked up to check during dinner.

I have only seen the aurora once before, here in NJ. It was really hard at first to recognize what I was seeing, because my brain kept helpfully informing me that it was just a special effect. Once I convinced myself that no, this is real life not a green screen, my jaw just dropped open and would not close, from staggerment at the scale and beauty of what I was seeing.

Aurora and stars over Tromsø, Norway. By Fredrick Broms of Northern Lights Photography; from APOD.

Comments

[Laura Koerbeer]

I'm envious. I'd like to see that! I went to the Yukon a bunch of years ago, hoping to see the aurora, but it never got dark.

[Fred]

I saw the Aurora on a beach in Delaware 20 some years ago. It was faint and pale. I only saw it because my girlfriend and I decided to walk away from town where it was dark.
I'm in swdeden now so I will take a good look tonight. Maybe I'll luck out if the sky stays clear.
A couple weeks ago the news showed an amazing shot of the aurora over stockholm. It showed a georgeous purple blaze across the sky.

[Hartmut]

Despite many holidays in Norway, I have only once (in the far North) seen a tiny bit of aurora, and that looked more like a few clouds that for some unknown reason had turned green.

[Snarki, child of Loki]

Clouds last night, dammit.

[Brett Bellmore]

I recall years ago, (Fall of 2001, I think.) back in Michigan, one night I went out for some reason, looked up, and there was a wave of color crashing across the sky. I briefly shot in to email a friend, and then spent the next hour getting a crick in my neck as the entire sky lit up all the way to the southern horizon. And this was southern Michigan. I'd never seen anything so spectacular before.