Solar eruption: Second wave due tonight
Charged particles from Sunday's solar flare swept over the Earth last night, triggering colorful displays of the "Northern Lights" across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Norway and other locations across northern latitudes as the blast encountered the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field.
The photo above was taken by Travis J. Novitsky, of Grand Portage, Minn., who told SpaceWeather.com: "Well, the aurora made a pretty good showing last night! It sounds like most everyone in Minnesota had cloudy skies but lucky for me the clouds didn't move in to my area until after the aurora faded. These images were all captured between 11:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. At about 11:45 I noticed the moon was coming up, so I made a couple of exposures of the moon as well as the northern lights. These were all shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II."
Scientists say a second wave is still en route across the 93-million-mile gulf between the sun and the Earth, and should reach us tonight.
Maryland appears to have been too far south to give us a view of last night's auroral displays. And
the skies were too murky anyway, as is common here at this time of year. You need clear, dark skies to see auroral displays, especially this far south.
Tonight's forecast doesn't look any better for Central Maryland. But if you're reading this in northern New England, the Great Lakes states or points north, spend some time outside tonight and give it a try. Catching the Northern Lights is always an experience you won't forget.
For the rest of us, photos from last night's display are coming in to the SpaceWeather.com galleries. On the SpaceWeather.com site you can also sign up for telephone alerts. For a monthly fee, they will call you when there is another big solar eruption, and when auroral displays are occurring at your location.
(PHOTO: Top: Travis J. Novitsky/ Used with permission)
Comments
Big deal!!!! I get to see an Aurora every day!!! And in broad daylight!!!! And now for the icing on the cake.....I can even drive it!!!! (It's a 2001, very low mileage!!!)
Posted by: Marc | August 4, 2010 8:47 PM
OK Marc so you can see them everyday from where you live (BTW, where?).
BUT, sky watchers far way from the Northern Latitudes hardly ever get to see them so if we did it would be a very exciting event like in 2003 when the Sun erupted and sent an extremely intense solar wave crashing into Earth's atmosphere that created Auroras all the way SOUTH to Texas.
I watched the Auroras dance around in Fancy Gap, VA on the Blue Ridge Parkway. That was a magnificent site and a once in-a-lifetime event to watch cause they only way I could see them was in pictures or on television before that historic and fun night.
So APPRECIATE what you have w/o being critical of the gifts the heavens give you.
Frank, was I right about the year? I know the Auroras were visible through most, if not all, the U.S that night.
FR: Um, Marc's Aurora, as his comment suggests, is an Oldsmobile. And yes, there was a big solar storm in October 2003 that pushed auroral displays as far south as Texas and Maryland. We also saw some in November 2004 in Maryland.
Posted by: Mark in Charlotte, NC | August 5, 2010 2:32 PM
Wow 1st pic is amazing but 2nd one is bit scary.
Posted by: SEO India | August 13, 2010 10:34 AM
The clarity of both the pictures are great. I was surprised by looking the pictures.
Posted by: SEO India | May 2, 2011 5:34 PM