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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."

67 comments

  1. it's april 1? by crutchy · · Score: -1, Troll

    maybe the guy that wrote this looked at his clock and the last digit of the date was obscured by his obe wan kenobe doll's lighsaber so he thought it was april 1st?

    either that or the "flare" they speak of refers to reemergence of a 70's phenomenon?

    1. Re:it's april 1? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Shut the FUCK up you FUCKING FAGGOT! The FUCKING FAGGOTS and SLUTTY DYKES are ruining America by promoting FAGGOT MARRIAGE!

    2. Re:it's april 1? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was going to say he was an idiot and should make us all smarter by shutting up, but I think you've outclassed him there. The sad thing is that, when society looks back on us, they'll see bigots like you absolutely everywhere.l

    3. Re:it's april 1? by crutchy · · Score: 1

      the op probably works for the TSA... what more can we expect?

    4. Re:it's april 1? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      This doesn't look like a joke, but something does seem off.

      On the Kp index, the flare has been categorized at 6 to 8

      Flares are not categorized with the Kp index. The Kp index is a scale for rating how large of a geomagnetic storm is going on. it is a non-linear scale of how much the Earth's magnetic field is deviating from typical value, as measured at several locations. Typically to get good auroras further south, you need both a high Kp index, which pushes the parts of the magnetic field lines bringing in solar wind and other stuff further away from the magnetic poles, and a source of particles to actually produce bright aurora. Solar storms do produce both, although there are situations where you can sometimes get one or the other.

      Anyway, there several ways flares are rated, but the Kp index is not one of them. But it does factor into what into what to expect as far as aurora at more southernly locations. It is rather difficult to predict accurately from solar activity. The more accurate predictions are on short time scales using satellites in front of the Earth that can measure the solar magnetic field a few hours before variations hit us as carried by the solar wind. You can see the output of a model here, and so far it looks no where near as high as what Accuweather is suggesting. Although that model can be wrong at times, so it could still happen. For predictions and watches based on the space equivalent of weather men, you can find a chart of that here. While two days ago there was a watch made for a G2 level geomagnetic storm, which would be another way of describing a Kp=6 condition, the more recent updates and aurora circle maps show that current conditions are much short of that.

    5. Re:it's april 1? by Almost-Retired · · Score: 1

      I'll agree with the comments about there being zip lights. I checked all the so-called space weather sites I could think of, and absolutely no one was even aware of it. Here in north central WV, DC is about 150 miles due east of me, I went out several times to check, and while the sky was clear enough I found Polaris instantly, the only skylight was the usual glow from a 50k pop city 20 miles north.

      As one commenter above said, we got bupkiss.

      I can remember back in about '50 or '51, when we were testing nukes at high altitudes, we had some truly glorious northern lights in the farm country west of Des Moines, but its generally been pretty slim pickins since. So this turned out to be someone's wishful thinking ANAICT.

      Cheers, Gene.

    6. Re:it's april 1? by Teun · · Score: 1

      Between you remembering '50 and '51, your nick and your ID something tells me you're tired :)

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    7. Re:it's april 1? by Almost-Retired · · Score: 1

      About as tired as you would expect a 78 yo diabetic to be. I just changed the blades on my 30 yo rider, which I had to jack up on a set of ramps, then pickup the front end about 20 inches so I could get my 1/2" impact wrench on the spindle bolts, and it will be about 1/2 an hour before my burning legs will feel like forking it and actually doing some of the first mowing of the year.

      Getting old is not for wimps, I don't recommend it at all. ;-)

      Cheers, Gene,

    8. Re: it's april 1? by glitch23 · · Score: 1

      I'm in north central wv as well. I was outside from 5 to 930 and saw nothing but the usual stars.

      --
      this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
    9. Re:it's april 1? by Teun · · Score: 1
      I don't know how I missed the re but the question was answered non the less :)

      Nice to see active grown-ups on this site!

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  2. Braiiiiiiiins by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Extra illumination to draw a bead on your zombie horde, sweet.

    Amish will save on lamp oil.

    Others?

    Oh, the end is nigh, almost forgot.

  3. 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.

    1. Re:Nada in NYC by C0R1D4N · · Score: 2

      I can not see anything from the NJ pine barrens, but a seven hour deviation is the entirety of night this time of year.

  4. Great night by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Aurora Borealis showing. Story of Ricky airing on Turner Classic Movies too. Could tonight be any more awesome?

  5. 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.

  6. Weather :( by green1 · · Score: 2

    Unfortunately I get to stare at a whiteout blizzard instead... Too bad, last year had a wonderful night watching the northern lights with my wife from our hot tub (best way to do so!)

    1. Re:Weather :( by rmdingler · · Score: 2, Funny

      There is nothing wrong with a wonderful night including you and your wife in a hot tub, but as to the "best way" we'll agree to disagree. Even in an allegedly monogamous relationship, the very best way is with the tub full of women who keep telling your wife how lucky she is to have you.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    2. Re:Weather :( by phantomfive · · Score: 2

      Extra women are more trouble than they're worth. They smile, but they always extract something in the end.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    3. Re:Weather :( by cffrost · · Score: 2

      Extra women are more trouble than they're worth. They smile, but they always extract something in the end.

      Yes, our precious bodily fluids.

      --
      Thank you, Edward Snowden.

      "Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
    4. Re:Weather :( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too bad, last year had a wonderful night watching the northern lights with my wife from our hot tub (best way to do so!)

      Indeed. Watching the northern lights in your hot tub with your wife was one of the best nights of my life!

    5. Re:Weather :( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Which is why I only drink distilled water and pure grain alcohol.

  7. It's beautiful if you get a chance to see it... by IANAAC · · Score: 2
    When I was a kid growing up in Northern Minnesota, we would see the lights often enough. Then there was a period from the mid-to-late 80s up until the mid-2000s I suppose that there were none to be seen.

    Within the last couple years, though, they're back with increasing frequency. I've been able to catch them at least twice each year for the last two years from Northern Wisconsin. And two years ago (I think), I had a friend that lives in Ohio that was able to clearly see them.

    1. Re:It's beautiful if you get a chance to see it... by olsmeister · · Score: 2

      I went to college in Houghton, MI (way up north) and on the night of March 13th, 1989 we were walking back to our dorm from a parking lot and the auroras were so insane I couldn't even believe what I was seeing. They covered the entire northern half of the sky, with greens, reds, and violets rippling through them. I've never seen anything like it before or since but I consider myself very lucky to have been coming back from the bar at that particular time on that particular night. I'm still in Michigan, but after a quick check right now we currently have bubkus.

    2. Re:It's beautiful if you get a chance to see it... by mikael · · Score: 1

      Yes, we saw that in Scotland just after midnight - a giant + shape reddish/greenish in the sky, right opposite where the sun wound be. The same sort of shape you'd get from doing fluid motion simulations of a drain. Every now and again a huge sheet of green light would just shoot past from North to South, filling the entire sky.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  8. Too far north for NYC still. by FooAtWFU · · Score: 2

    The best source for aurora visibility information is a forecast page run by the NOAA, but it's crushed under the load already, so I won't link it here. The second-best source is probably AccuWeather Astronomy's Facebook page or something like that. Anyway. Visibility hasn't even reached Maine yet.

    --
    The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  9. Aurora by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 1

    No one else has yet chimed in with the obligatory aurora boreanaz.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDguY0jtzBQ

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
  10. Nothing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We saw the northern lights from our house in 2003 following an X3.2-Class flare. But even where we live in central Maryland, the light pollution is significant.

  11. Good for you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Personally, I'm not into the whole "boinking a hippo" scene, but hey, whatever turns you on!

  12. Try this: by the_buzzer · · Score: 1

    Looking outside will do nothing for you, Give NOAA space weather a try! When a geomagnetic storm is in progress keep an eye out on the auroral oval and how far it reaches down in the picure. If your sky area is clear and the storm is not strong the lights can look like faint clouds that move slowly. (Keep an eye on these as they can break out and get stronger) Most people will want to use a camera with a long exposure setting (bulb mode) to see them.

    1. Re:Try this: by snooo53 · · Score: 2

      As someone who was fortunate enough to see the northern lights in the lower 48 last year, this is good advice. Keep your eye on the forecast; unless you're far up north, good opportunities don't come along too often. Find a dark spot in the country with a good view, and be patient since they do ebb and flow. Although it can vary based on the space weather, your best chance is usually around midnight, and you can get frequent updates here http://helios.swpc.noaa.gov/ovation/

      It took me a couple tries to finally see them the first time. And even that night, for the longest time, until my eyes adjusted, I thought I was just seeing hazy clouds. Every once in a while it would light up with color overhead, but sadly those only lasted a few minutes. Most of the time it was pretty faint, but still an amazing experience, and yes a long exposure is a must to get a decent photo!

      --
      The sending of this message pretty much inconveniences everyone involved.
  13. Damn cloudy skies by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

    I can't see squat up there from where I live. My cell phone service at home ordinarily oscillates between terrible and inexistent, so I can't observe an effect from it on that either.

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  14. Links for current info by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    POES Auroral Activity (Refreshes every 5 minutes)
    Fancy OVATION forecast (refreshes every 30 secs)

    There's apparently some media outlets doing facebook/twitter updates too, but A) I don't do either one and B) They're a lot less likely to contain actual information than the above. :)

    1. Re:Links for current info by idunham · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the links.

    2. Re:Links for current info by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      At least for the first on, the POES plot, the website will refresh every five minutes, but the information might not. The plot is based on satellite measurements, and the time between satellite fly overs can be anywhere from 5 minutes to over an hour, plus some of the fly overs don't get good information. It is still a great resource, but be aware it can easily be out of date if conditions are changing fast.

  15. Nothing in West Chester, PA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Just drove out into the farmland with no lights. Nothing.

  16. not seeing it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In northern indiana here, I dont see it.

    1. Re:not seeing it by Bronster · · Score: 2

      try turning off your screen and trying again...

    2. Re: not seeing it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm in southern indiana, didn't see anything. I only mention it because it's darker in this part. Driving all night on country roads, too.

      Today is my birthday. Seeing my first aurora would have been amazing. Thanks for the gag gift, random aurora alert service!

  17. Aurora Watch by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 2

    This website will send you emails when Aurora are likely - it's based in Edmonton so it works best for northerly locations with the same magnetic latitude but when the storm hits you should see the chance for Auroras spike in Edmonton as well - and you can sign up for an email if you don't want to watch the site.

  18. Chasing Unicorns by clyde_cadiddlehopper · · Score: 4, Informative

    The first impact of the CME has hit and the boulder Kp is hovering around 3. Watch it here.and here. Here in southern Minnesota, Kp has to hit 6 before we see anything. 5 up on the Canadian border. Good luck spotting those unicorns!

    --
    Obi-Wan: "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were sudden
    1. Re:Chasing Unicorns by jovius · · Score: 3

      Persistent positive charge of the solar wind's magnetic field is preventing the storm to happen, even though conditions otherwise are favorable. Should the oncoming particles carry a negative charge things could change dramatically. The parameter is called Bz in this plot from the ACE satellite between Earth and Sun: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ace/MAG_24h.html The current value is also presented in the left sidebar of http://www.spaceweather.com/

    2. Re:Chasing Unicorns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Bz is not the charge, it is the strength of the magnetic field in the z direction (parallel to the earths rotation axis more or less). when it is positive it is reinforcing the earths field and not as many particles get in, when it is negative it is opposite the earth's field which weakens it and more stuff gets in to cause bigger displays.

    3. Re:Chasing Unicorns by jovius · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the correction, I made a silly mistake...

    4. Re:Chasing Unicorns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you like following stuff like this, be sure to subscribe to Suspicious0bservers .... - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fTTZS23a3s&feature=youtube_gdata

      The only weather report I watch daily. Lots of really good content...no bullshit.

  19. Born and raised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In West Philliadelipia?

  20. Northern lights... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Salem Ohio nothing

  21. Aurora by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nothing in Staten Island either... Hope I can stay up to see it. ::yawn::

  22. Chicago by seven+of+five · · Score: 1

    Nuttin.

  23. It doesn't look like it's going to happen for most by filthpickle · · Score: 1

    It isn't moving south nearly as far as originally predicted/hoped.

  24. Re: It doesn't look like it's going to happen for by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Where did u get this info

  25. Re: It doesn't look like it's going to happen for by filthpickle · · Score: 1

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/AccuWeathercom-Astronomy/178186248887910 The Bz isn't going negative. It still could, but it hasn't as of yet.

  26. Aurora Borealis? by ButchDeLoria · · Score: 0

    I should go get some steamed hams and go stargazing.

  27. If it weren't for heavy cloud cover by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If it weren't for heavy cloud cover, I would be able to see it. I'm at 53.5N, and I see Auroras all the time (and I am surrounded by city for at least 15 miles in every direction, and -worse- as they wear out, they are replacing the 'orange' sodium vapor street lights with 'bright white' LED street lights). On the other hand, I've seen Auroras very much brighter than the street lights (intense neon green and blue where black sky should be). It doesn't matter if there is a lot of light pollution, you aren't looking at tiny dots of starlight, big auroras are a lot more 'in your face'.

  28. 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.

    1. Re:I've listened to Northen lights. by vlueboy · · Score: 0

      I'll be interested to see some youtube uploads in the next few days, but the quality of budget cameras for low-light captures is atrocious. Almost every sky picture that is not captured by a telescope was taken on DSLRs with tripods and exposure tricks. It seems the star-tracking mandatory for telescopes is completely ignored on Flickr and google image results. I cannot believe the Hubble et al seem to lack pictures of the the Milky way from the sky, where they can be horizon free, devoid of light pollution, AND streak free.

      About your post, I read in the nineties about a blind man who marveled what some sound was that apparently came from the Auroras overhead. The blind are known to have a stronger sense of hearing. This was on my mind when I went out near 9PM but I only aurora-free stars and a bunch of clouds. I have eyesight but have never caught auroras because I'm too far south, and people favor pictures of it rather than videos. Tonight could have been special.

    2. Re:I've listened to Northen lights. by Rich0 · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure how much star tracking would help with aurora - the images change over time so you'd probably just get a photo of some stars over a colored background that lacks most of the features of an aurora. For short-duration photos that would capture the essence of the aurora star tracking is probably not necessary.

      As far as the milky way goes, I'm surprised somebody hasn't taken a photo from the ISS or such. The hubble probably wouldn't generate a terribly impressive photo - the field of view is way too narrow. Telescopes generate images of very small areas in the sky - especially large ones like the Hubble. If you want to really capture the milky way you need a pretty wide-angle lens.

      I do find it odd that it is hard to find such photos online. All you need to do is take a photo from space - I'd think that even a regular DSLR would work. If you wanted it to be a reasonably long exposure you would need to have it attached to a support which was motionless with respect to the stars.

  29. Aurora Borealis by allo · · Score: 1

    Aurora Borealis? In your kitchen?!

    1. Re:Aurora Borealis by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aurora Borealis? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, Localized entirely within your kitchen?

    2. Re:Aurora Borealis by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      May I see it?

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  30. Timely posting there, editors... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I love how news like this is always posted just late enough that I miss it before the event is over. The really sad part about this is that it surely happens only because the editors use their ability to configure when an article is posted in order to assume that everyone watches Slashdot constantly, and so the best time to tell everyone is the very moment it starts to become dark outside, and not a moment beforehand.

    Here's a hint, dipshits: Your site sucks. Most of the articles are simply bait to encourage everyone to read the comments not because the article makes any sense, but because it's so incredibly stupid. Half of the people want to go in to show everyone how they're smarter than everyone else. The other half just want to verify that not everyone on the planet is a fucking moron and that someone somewhere in the comments noticed the same thing about the article that they did. Then, when an actual news-like event occurs, you fuck that up as well by posting about it so late that most of your readership won't see it until the event is over.

    Honestly, I'd stay the fuck away from this site were it not that sometimes I'm just so fucking bored that it's better than nothing.

  31. Borealis Shmorealis by Turminder+Xuss · · Score: 1

    Booking a ticket to Hobart if the Aurora Australis is going to light up like this again.

    --
    You seem to regard science as some kind of dodge... or hustle.
  32. Bad article timing there.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

    The CME happened on Thursday, and the story only comes on the afternoon of the very night of the visibility of the event?

    Timing fail. I'm not blaming slashdot for this one specifically, since the linked story itself only came out on Saturday as well, but really, it would have been nice to know about it 24 hours sooner.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    1. Re:Bad article timing there.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      then subscribe to the daily Youtube post by Suspicious0bservers

      http://www.youtube.com/user/Suspicious0bservers?feature=watch

  33. Cue global warming blaming in 3-2-1... by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 0

    I give it 48 hours before some ignoramus on a morning TV talk show blames it thusly.

  34. Washington D.C., isn't that waaaay south? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's 39 degrees north. I live in europe and that's south of Madrid. I live considerably north of that and have never seen aurora borealis. I find it very, very, very hard to believe that you can see the aurora that far south.

  35. Not Tonight by big_oaf · · Score: 1

    Better get in your time machine, 'cause the AccuWeather article talking about "tonight" is from April 13.

    --
    -- My hovercraft is full of eels.
    1. Re:Not Tonight by big_oaf · · Score: 1

      Goddammit. I blame Feedly for putting this article in my "Today" feed.

      --
      -- My hovercraft is full of eels.