Major Aurora Alert!!

Did anyone get to see it??

Don't worry - another chance on the way!

Brian

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MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY WARNING Extended: 13:50 UTC on 18
January 2005 Solar Terrestrial Dispatch
www.spacew.com


VALID BEGINNING AT: EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY VALID UNTIL: 23:00 UTC (6 pm
EST) ON 20 JANUARY

HIGH RISK PERIOD: 18-19 JANUARY (UTC DAYS) MODERATE RISK PERIOD: 18-20
JANUARY

PREDICTED ACTIVITY INDICES: 80, 100, 30, 12 (18 - 21 JANUARY)

POTENTIAL MAGNITUDE OF MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY: HIGH

POTENTIAL DURATION OF THIS ACTIVITY: MAIN BELT = 18-24 HOURS
MINOR BELT = 24-36 HOURS

ESTIMATED OPTIMUM OBSERVING CONDITIONS: NEAR OR AFTER LOCAL MIDNIGHT

EXPECTED LUNAR INTERFERENCE: LOW TO MODERATE

OVERALL OPPORTUNITY FOR OBSERVATIONS FROM MIDDLE LATITUDES: GOOD

AURORAL ACTIVITY *MAY* BE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF A LINE FROM...
(THIS LINE IS VALID *ONLY* IF FAVORABLE STORM CONDITIONS OCCUR)

EXTREME NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO NORTHERN NEVADA TO UTAH TO COLORADO
TO SOUTHERN KANSAS AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA TO ARKANSAS TO TENNESSEE TO
SOUTH CAROLINA.

ACTIVITY *MAY* ALSO BE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF A LINE FROM...
(THIS LINE IS VALID *ONLY* IF FAVORABLE STORM CONDITIONS OCCUR)

NORTHERN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL TO SOUTHERN FRANCE TO ITALY TO ROMANIA
TO UKRAINE TO SOUTHERN RUSSIA.

SYNOPSIS...

What may be the strongest coronal mass ejection yet observed from
active sunspot region 10720 is due to impact the Earth late on 18 or
early on 19 January (UTC time, which is
equivalent to the late afternoon or evening hours over North America
today). Tonight may be the best opportunity
for observers to see periods of auroral activity. If predictions hold
true, periods of major to severe auroral
storm activity will materialize sometime after the disturbance
arrives. This is a potentially significant event.

This warning will remain valid through 23:00 UTC (6 pm EST) on
20 January, but will probably be downgraded to a watch late on 19 or
early on 20 January. For updated information,
visit: www.spacew.com/aurora/forum.html . For real-time plots of
current activity, visit:
www.spacew.com/plots.html

PLEASE REPORT VALID OBSERVATIONS OF AURORAL ACTIVITY TO:
www.spacew.com/submitsighting.html


** End of Warning **

Could be global nuclear conflict out there and I wouldn't know it.

Anyone got a spare JCB? If I could just pile all the mountains round here on top of each other then I might just be able to peer over the clouds.

What would I call my new observatory?

a) Mona Higha!
b) Grand FekinCrows
c) Brrrrr It's Freezing Castle

Could be global nuclear conflict out there and I wouldn't know it.

Anyone got a spare JCB? If I could just pile all the mountains round here on top of each other then I might just be able to peer over the clouds.

What would I call my new observatory?

a) Mona Higha!
b) Grand FekinCrows
c) Brrrrr It's Freezing Castle

Strange Peaks?
Rock of Getupthere? (the Gibraltar spin-off!)

Aurora's possible now? seems there is a storm in progress....

Its still there!! Two days from now, giant sunspot 720 is due to return. It will peek over the sun's eastern limb on or about February 6th, then slowly turn to face Earth on February 13th. As a result, solar activity might soon increase. We know sunspot 720 still exists because astronomers have been watching it cross the far side of the sun. They do this using a technique called helioseismic holography. Recent farside maps reveal sunspot 720 plus another sunspot complex, newly-formed and even bigger than 720!! is about to come into view.

check out

www.spaceweather.com

Ronan Newman

Galway Astronomy Club