Topic: Aurora Borealis

[gavin]

Anybody else fascinated by the Aurora Borealis?  I've only seen it once - 30 years ago.  And NEVER will I forget it - pure magic.

According to http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch/ there's a possibility of Aurora Borealis tonight?

All best - Gavin

[Mrs Ava]

Tis on my list of things to do before I pop of this mortal coil, along with Great Wall of China, seeing a whale in the wild waters and going plant hunting in the Jungle with Roy Lancaster!

Shame we aren't further up country, step daughter received a fab telescope for Chrimble and I could have gone Aurora spotting!

[tim]

Every day - for all our months in Murmansk - absolutely BREATHTAKING!!

A real must! = Tim

[ina]

Ah, what can I say? I lived in Alaska for five years, 4 months in Barrow in the very north and the rest of the time about 50 miles south of the circle.

Got some good pictures of the Northern lights but it was very tricky to take them. Keeping the camera warm under your clothes, taking gloves off to make the settings and standing or laying around in the dark at minus 40C or so. Mr.C. swore he could make the lights move more with high pitch sounds so he would whistle really loud, o well, it kept the insomnic bears away anyway hahaha.

Just now when he read this he says that he didn't really believe it but it was a popular believe there. However, he says, the whistling did seem to make the lights wave more so you never know.

[john_miller]

I've been lucky enough to see them twice. Strangely disconcerting but simultaeneously spell binding.

[Carol]

I have seen it too, but many years ago when I was too young to appreciate it.  I must have been very young but somehow I do remember it for it to be in my memory.  You seem to be quite far north of me Gavin.  If you are near Aberdeen did you not see it last year when it was seen quite a lot. 

[gavin]

I saw it years ago when I was living near Aberdeen - but I'm now in Leeds.  Haven't seen it here yet - but live in hope!   :-)

All best - Gavin

[ina]

The northern lights may be visible more often than you think but you need to be in a place far from any man made light to see them and those places might be hard to find.

[Wicker]

that';s the thing, Ina, must be away from artificial/street lighting.  Lived near in Caithness all my youth so did see the lights quite often then but here in a city in central Scotland have only seen them once - and that was a faint shadow of the ral thing.  It's actually a humbling experience - fair makes you appreciate natural phenomena!

[john_miller]

Just to re-inforce your points Ina and Wicker, I am slightly below 45^o N, 5-15^o South of the U.K., in the woods where there is no competing light, and I have see them (it?) above the tree tops.

[busy_lizzie]

They are absolutely magical to see.  Have been lucky to see them twice, one fantastic full scale dancing-lights-filling-the-whole-sky performance about 20 years ago on a holiday in Perth in Scotland.  We were way out in the depths of the country, and once here in the North East a dazzling purple display which looked amazing.   :o busy_lizzie

[aquilegia]

jealous.

I'd love to see them. I'm going to Aberdeen in early April, so I'm hoping to see some there. My aunt lives in the middle of nowhere, so hopefully...

My nearest comparable was seeing a meteor (or was it a meteorite) and the milky way with the naked eye in Malta. Absolutely awesome (in the original sense of the word!)

[Carol]

Strange that this subject was brought up recently because tonight I was told by the Betterware man to go and look outside at the Northern Lights.  They were wonderful, flashing lights and a lovely deep pink.

So to anyone who has a clear sky tonight, go and look out, you may witness the Aurora Borealis.

 :o :o

[Andy H]

Don`t think I could see them this far south in uk but did see them whilst with Sir Patrick Moore on Norway trip. Didn`t see them in Lapland or Alaska though. They are spookily amazing.
I only saw the more common green.
Milky way can be see on any clear night even at gatwick in sth UK
Forget where now but is the lighter streak across the sky. When looking at it through telescope there are millions of stars.

Another one that is good is pleadies(Can`t spell it)
With naked eye it is small group of about 7 stars, then look through binoculars and it is about 50, then telescope and millions! Bearing mind that through the telescope you are only looking at a small portion of it(about one star)
Will look later but if you look at north star late in evening and turn anticlockwise about 90 degress it is about 45 deg up(straightup being 90deg)
Sorry bit rusty on all this!!!

[Andy H]

If I have got this correct then looking east about half way up! you should see saturn as the brightest thing
4" telescope would show the ring
Astronomy now site shows the skymap and instructions!

[Andy H]

http://www.wildweb.de/cameras/mainframe.htm

This is the Aurora webcam and although I only look now and then and not stare at the screen for hours! I have never seen anythin on it :-\