Sun Storm To Cause Massive Auroral Display

glengyron writes "SMH reports a major geomagnetic storm will cause a spectacular display of shimmering coloured lights in the night sky of the Southern Hemsiphere. Read more here or check out the press release from the Australian Space Weather Agency (pdf)."

Comments

Auroras

[Scott7477]

Here's the article: Night sky spectacular November 9, 2004 - 4:42PM A spectacular light show is expected to play across Australia's southern skies as a major geomagnetic storm rages above the earth's atmosphere this week. Many-hued shimmering and moving lights should appear in the night sky in the southern half of Australia over the next two nights, the Australian space weather agency, IPS Radio and Space Services, said. Since November 3, a massive sunspot has caused several explosions on the sun's surface, which have hit the earth's geomagnetic field and caused a major geomagnetic storm. "This storm is expected to continue for the next two to three days as material now in transit from the sun interacts with the geomagnetic field," IPS deputy general manager Phil Wilkinson said. "Reports of aurora have already been received from as far north as the Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran in northern NSW." As well as creating a spectacular light display, the storm is likely to disturb the earth's upper atmosphere and interfere with technological systems including short wave or high frequency (HF) radio. "HF radio remains an important tool for communications and surveillance within Australia for defence, air and sea transport and emergency service groups," Dr Wilkinson said. Satellites may be damaged and aeromagnetic surveys could be adversely affected, he said, but the activity posed no direct threat to people on earth. I guess this means all the tinfoil hat wearers in the southern hemisphere can take them off for a couple of days.

Here are some pics

[Per Wigren]

This is what the sky looked like for a few minutes in Sweden yesterday: Norrsken

Personally I missed it, but I've seen the phenomenon 100s of times before because I'm initially from the middle/north parts of Sweden. It's really beautiful and surrealistic when it's constantly moving and morphing like an Amiga-demo plasma-effect in the sky. ;)