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Aurora Borealis Likely To Be Visible In Southern NY and PA Tonight

Posted by Soulskill on from the pretty-lights dept.

New submitter chromaexcursion writes "Several news source are reporting the likelihood of an impressive show of the Aurora Borealis visible as far south as Washington D.C. this evening. Accuweather explains: 'On the Kp index, the flare has been categorized at 6 to 8. This is a scale for measuring the intensity of a a geomagnetic storm. The 6 to 8 rating means that the effects of the radiation will have a greater reach. ... The radiation from such a flare may cause radio wave disturbances to electronics such as cell phones, GPS and radios, causing services to occasionally cut in and out. While traveling slower than was originally anticipated, the flare effects are moving towards Earth at 1000 km per second. ... The lights are currently estimated for 8 p.m. EDT Saturday arrival, with a possible deviation of up to seven hours.' Check the map; if you're in a fair-to-good zone, head out after sunset to see the show."

3 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Nada in NYC by Shompol · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just checked from the roof of a 22 story bulding, the view North is over East River, but nothing to be seen there. I guess New York is not famous for astronomy discoveres with all the smog and lights.

  2. Bright enough to compete with skyglow? by Guppy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's going to have to been pretty bright to compete with the skyglow present all along the Northeast metropolitan area. I haven't seen the Milky Way in years; the last time it was visible in my neighborhood was about ten years ago, during a region-wide blackout.

  3. I've listened to Northen lights. by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hitchhiked a ride in Alaska; we were as outback as you can get
    when the driver hit the brakes and pulled to the side of the road.
    Scary a$$ stuff when you hitching a ride, but the driver saw the lights.

    Pitch black, and not a sound could be heard as we were in the middle of nowhere.
    We got out and watched them for awhile; they were like high speed clouds, rushing over us to swirl,
    disappear, and repeat, no color these were just white, thus the cloud reference.

    But the three of us can say we've heard the Northern Lights.
    If you waited for it you could hear them, very subtle but very neat.

    This was before public Internet and hard for others to accept, but now you can
    find (google) many others who have heard them as well.