# Aurora Borealis Tonight In Chicagoland? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443 "2017-07-16T23:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/1 "2017-07-16T23:26:14Z")
Look up! Watch the skies! > **[Northern Lights captivate crowds overnight | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/16/us/possible-northern-lights-show/index.html)** > > From Michigan to Canada, plenty of folks stayed up Sunday to watch and record the spectacle of the Northern Lights -- and it didn't disappoint. Take photos, & post them! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/2 "2017-07-16T23:50:04Z")
Not according to this site: [Aurora Forecast | Geophysical Institute](http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast) Activity low. Many years ago, they were very active one night and I saw them as far south as Reno! It was cool! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/3 "2017-07-17T00:10:20Z")
National Weather Service [reports](https://twitter.com/NWSEastern) the predicted geomagnetic storm is ongoing right now and might be visible in some regions tonight in the right conditions, away from city lights. There is also a cool picture of the coronal mass ejection a couple of days ago that is the cause of it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/4 "2017-07-17T02:56:28Z")
Cool website. I have bookmarked it. We’ll go out and check just in case. I’m hearing different things from different places. Might as well look… ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/5 "2017-07-17T03:31:39Z")
Oh, roar a roar for Nora, Nora Alice in the night, For she has seen Aurora Borealis burning bright. A furore for our Nora! And applaud Aurora seen! Where, throughout the Summer, has Our Borealis been? Walt Kelly ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/6 "2017-07-17T03:38:24Z")
Since no one else has said it yet. At this time of year At this time of day In this part of the country Localized entirely in your kitchen? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/7 "2017-07-17T03:44:39Z")
Minneapolis here. Just checked outside. Nothing. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/8 "2017-07-17T05:04:30Z")
[aurorsaurus.org](http://aurorsaurus.org) searches for tweets with the word “aurora” in them. No sightings. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/9 "2017-07-17T05:10:14Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > Oh, roar a roar for Nora, > Nora Alice in the night, > For she has seen Aurora > Borealis burning bright. > > A furore for our Nora! > And applaud Aurora seen! > Where, throughout the Summer, has > Our Borealis been? > > Walt Kelly I was thinking more Flock of Seagulls The cloud is moving nearer still Aurora Borealis comes in view Aurora comes in view And I ran I ran so far away I just ran I ran all night and day I couldn’t get away ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/10 "2017-07-17T14:19:54Z")
There was apparently a good show over the Mackinac bridge. Unfortunately I was no where near the bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/11 "2017-07-17T15:46:57Z")
Nothing in Northern Oregon. Phooey. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/12 "2017-07-17T15:53:05Z")
Nothing in NYC. Unless it’s because of the light pollution. I’m able to see stars from my backyard, but I don’t know how starlight compares to aurora light vis-a-vis being affected by ambient local light. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/13 "2017-07-17T17:51:02Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Since no one else has said it yet. > > At this time of year > At this time of day > In this part of the country > Localized entirely in your kitchen? Yes. I live in Chicago. Last night the wife and I took the kids and drove North trying to see the Aurora Borealis and could not. We got home after 11 but I don’t know if we missed them or if we wouldn’t have been able to see them anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/14 "2017-07-17T19:06:51Z")
[Try going out to the lake tonight.](http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica/20170717) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/15 "2017-07-17T19:20:43Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Try going out to the lake tonight.](http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica/20170717) User name and thread combo checks out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/16 "2017-07-17T19:55:42Z")
_Aurora Gory Alice_ was a pretty solid album for a debut. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/17 "2017-07-17T20:15:30Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Try going out to the lake tonight.](http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica/20170717) I check that site all the time, and that is the most active I’ve seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/18 "2017-07-17T22:41:22Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > User name and thread combo checks out. 😃 I hope to spend a few days and nights in Norway eventually. Land of the Aurora Borealis and some of my great grandparents. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/19 "2017-07-17T22:54:29Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I check that site all the time, and that is the most active I’ve seen it. It’s currently at 6, but I’ve seen a 7. I was at a lake cabin an hour north of Minneapolis, where the skies are crystal clear. The 7 level display was the best I’ve ever seen: green, red, and blue columns, curtains of shimmering green lights, and swirls directly overhead and extending from the zenith towards the south. The worst thing was it was April on a cold, windy night, and I could only stand 30 minutes of watching. I’ve seen a total solar eclipse, and this was just as spectacular - for one thing, it lasted longer! Last night (this morning) there wasn’t anything except a green glow about 2:00 AM. Tonight’s forecast isn’t as clear - chance of thunderstorms overnight, but I’ll keep on checking. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-borealis-tonight-in-chicagoland/791443/20 "2017-07-17T23:07:32Z")
This is the forecast for tonight: > [@](#): > > This is the Aurora Borealis forecast tonight. Auroral activity will be high(+). Weather permitting, highly active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto, Montpelier, and Charlottetown, and visible low on the horizon from Salem, Boise, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Indianapolis and Annapolis Salem is me! Now I just have to find a place with a good line of sight of the Northern sky. Normally I like these hills and trees. :rolleyes: