Tom H Loc: St. Louis, MO

I received this email alert from The University of Alaska's auroral research center:

"A very large solar event took place early on the 25th of February. It was located near the east limb of the sun facing away from the Earth, so the effect on the Earth may be diminished somewhat. However, we expect enhanced auroral activity when the disturbance arrives late in the evening of the 26th of February UT. For North America, this means aurora may reach index Kp=5 or more so as to be visible over the northern half of the US during the night of the 26th/27th. Activity could also be high on the night of the 27th/28th.

To follow the location of the aurora at any given time, go to http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ovation/"

Here is another site worth checking. You can change the date on this web address to get up-to-date forecast anytime.
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica/2014/02/26

What does this all mean? Glad you asked. The aurora Borealis may be visible as far south as Des Moines, IA. Major cities in the viewing area include: Seattle, Des Moines, Chicago, Cleveland, and Boston. It includes all of Washington Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine as well as almost all of New York, half of Idaho, half of Iowa, and even parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvania and a corner of Nebraska.

Hope for good weather wherever you may be. Get out, miles away from city lights. Watch low on the northern horizon. have your camera on a tripod. Shot at high ISO with long exposures, at least 20 seconds to as much as 60 seconds. Then post your pictures on the UHH for the rest of us to enjoy.

ISO 1600, 28 sec, f 5.6, enhanced in PSE

Rosanna Loc: Montana

Thank You

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

Very nice shot!

Tom H Loc: St. Louis, MO

Your should be able to see the Aurora from Montana tomorrow night. You may loss a lot of sleep watching for it.

plessner Loc: North Dakota

I will be watching tonight thanks

cat2560 Loc: mid michigan

Thanks! I will give it a go, even though it is supposed to be -14 tonight :(

Flymaster Loc: Michigan

Thank for the info Tom, nice shot by the way. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Scott

Tom H Loc: St. Louis, MO

ecobin and flymaster, thanks for the comments on the shot.

I'm surprised that this post hasn't gotten much more comment. Not about my picture but about the fact so many people may be able to get their own shots tonight. Having this much area of the lower 48 states within the viewable range of an aurora is highly unusual. It requires a pretty darn big storm on the sun to make this happen.

Perhaps I should re-post it in another section of the UHH.

Tom O Loc: Wisconsin

Tom,

Thank you for the information.

I am 35 miles west of Milwaukee.

Can you guess what time of night the the Aurora may be visible?

I have looked on other nights in the past with no success.

Back on 2-10-14 I was up near Duluth and looked about 10 PM without success.

Thanks and regards,

Tom O

plessner Loc: North Dakota

I have been checking all night--it is about midnight here, zero degrees and kind of clouded over and no lights for us tonight I am afraid.

Tom H Loc: St. Louis, MO

Really can't guess the time but would assume after midnight. When we watched for them outside of Fairbanks, they suddenly showed up a few minutes before 3:00 am and lasted until it got too bright in the morning. Fortunately we had one guy that stayed up watching while the rest of us went to bed. We were in three RV's so had our beds, etc. with us out in a pull-off on the side of the road. Also, light coats were all we needed.

Tom H

jkoar Loc: The Gunks, NY

noaa dead link