Polar Flares To Be Visible Tonight

ideaMUX writes "NASA's solar dynamics observatory recently detected an M-class flare hurling a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. The CME is not fully directed toward Earth, but some of the plasma cloud may be visible in the magnetosphere tonight, causing a geomagnetic disturbance and possible aurora. NASA said M-class flares are medium-sized, and can cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth's Polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow M-class flares."

Comments

Re:From all residents outside the [ant]arctic circ

[Red Flayer]

That's not quite right for this event.

Here's a forecast for tonight's event, it's possible that anyone north of about 55 degrees in North America will get a glimmer.

True, that leaves most of us SOL. But that's why CME events are special -- people who can't normally see the aurora borealis get a chance to view it.

Re:Earth has two poles

[Wyatt Earp]

The article's title and description refers to polar, so no where is it north-centric.

Even the UAF site has a map for the Southern Hemisphere.

Nope... often visible in the continental US

[fyngyrz]

The only people in the US that will be able to see it live in Alaska

Nope. I generally do pretty well here in NE Montana.

This shot, and this one, are aurora photos from the CME event last week.