Aurora Borealis

[Thomas]

My wife and I hope, at some point, to travel North to witness, again we hope, the spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis.

I know that there are no guarantees, it's as much a matter of luck as judgement. But what steps can we take to push the odds in our favour?

How far North? Is the more North the better? I know it is possible to view the AB from Northern Scotland ... but we were planning a bit further than that.

And what time of year? And does the 11-year sun cycle, beloved of radio amateurs everywhere, increase the chances and magnificence of the displays in peak years?

Any comments welcome, except perhaps those of the 'oh that, you can see that from my bedroom window any day of the week' kind. Unless accompanied by an offer of a bed ... for a week ...

Thomas

[greymare]

ahhh, now thats another on my "to do" list...
that is to see the Aurora Borealis, not spend a week in bed.
ah, hang on, that would be ok too, i think. lol

[farhan]

Northern Scotland... if you are lucky. Try something Norway-ish. Or may be far south .... like Argentina. Norway also has Svalbard archipelago, which is as north as Canada.

Sunsopt maximum might occur in 2009 or 2010, that will be a good time.

Also the hemisphere where there is summer season is the hemisphere (& pole) facing the sun. So that might be the better hemisphere to watch AB, althought not necessary. Since Argentina is not as south as Norway is north. You wont go to Antartica ofcourse, not a good place to spend a week.

Try being in touch with space.com. They will tell you everything happening on the skies. Venus, mars, comets, AB .... anything.

[seattlegal]

I would go to Iceland sometime around October 2011. {Just my best guess.}

Right now, we don't have many sunspots, so it would be better to wait a few years.

The aurora seem to be more active around the spring and autumn equinoxes, but the nights get longer following the autumn equinox, so your chances might be better in October.

Iceland could also probably use the tourism revenue.

I've been looking at aurora images from Iceland, and it seems like most of them are green.
http://www.iww.is/art/shs/pages/page1.html

[Tao_Equus]

I would echo SG's advice.You have as much chance in Iceland as anywhere. The sun is in a more inactive phase than it has been for decades, or longer, so you are unlikely to see the very best the AB has to offer. But at least in Iceland you can enjoy the other natural features while you wait such as active volcanism and the hot springs that creates. The closer you go to the winter solstice, the longer the nights.


tao

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by greymare

ahhh, now thats another on my "to do" list...
that is to see the Aurora Borealis, not spend a week in bed.
ah, hang on, that would be ok too, i think. lol

A week in bed, looking up at the stars ... on that boat?

Three of may favourite things ... bliss!

Thomas

[Thomas]

Farhan, thanks for the link, and SG, TE, thanks for the info.

Time to set up my piggy bank then. Iceland looks good, we're into Sigur Ros at home, so we can set the scene in the meantime. UK weather at the mo', music on, leave the doors and windows open ... brrrr! (Howya doin, Tao, you're Norther than London, methinks?)

OK ... it's not Iceland, but it's bloomin' parky! Scrapin' the frost off my bike seat in the AM is no fun either. Windchill's impressive on the motorway (freeway in the US) too.

The whole thing was triggered by a TV doc. in which Joanna Lumley went to Iceland to realise a childhood dream, reminded us both it was on our wishlist ... lots of incidental stuff, "55 minutes documentary, 5 minutes AB" as my better half said.

And yes, it was big, spectacular ... and very green ...

Greymare ... is that your boat, or wishful thinking?

Thomas

[wil]

I was in Alaska summer of '85 and the sky blistered with the lights as we got into late August and September. I slept outside in my sleeping bag so I could lay there and watch as I fell asleep. All colors, incredible, movies, pictures don't do it justice.

I was only in Anchorage (you can scroll the latitude around and look at your side). My two most memorable nights were one where it was like laying on the floor and looking up at a curtain bottom that extended to the heavens. Then every few seconds G!d would take and shake the curtain, so the fabric would wave and the colors would change like that of a cuttle fish...incredible. Another night driving back to the states in the Yukon territory (quite a bit south) I don't know what the actual lights looked like as we had a low thin cloud cover...but the clouds were changing colors looking like neon cotton candy pink and blue and green patches flashing.

Truly a sight to behold.

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

farhan,

I believe you were thinking of the Aurora Australis (the "Southern Lights".) They are the same/similar to Aurora Borealis, but in the southern hemisphere instead of the northern hemisphere.

Sorry about this.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[juantoo3]

Originally Posted by greymare

ahhh, now thats another on my "to do" list...
that is to see the Aurora Borealis, not spend a week in bed.
ah, hang on, that would be ok too, i think. lol

But dearest Grey, are you not closer to the Aurora Australis where you are at now? Might be the wrong time of year just now, but around 6 months from now you should have better access to the Southern Lights.

I see now Phyllis beat me to it.

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing the Aurora only once, on a trip from Windsor to Toronto in Southern Canada. I can echo wil's comments, it was like a gorgeous curtain of light that shimmered and waved ever so delicately. It is a memory I still cherish.

[greymare]

yeah, i guess, i would be juan, however, ill have to get off my lazy a** and go south to find it, LOL, and 6 months from now, I dont intend on being in this country. (hopefully). LOL

[juantoo3]

Touche- ya got me there~

[bob x]

I've seen the Aurora Borealis in Michigan. It was when I was a little kid, and didn't realize how rare an experience it was, to see the aurora so far south.