# Aurora possible tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 15, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221 "2006-12-15T01:44:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [December 15, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/1 "2006-12-15T01:44:41Z")
The K[sub]p[/sub] has hit 8, which mean aurora should be visible in Chicago and to the south. I’ll take a look outside later. Anybody else? Sightings: [http://www.spacew.com/www/auroras.php](http://www.spacew.com/www/auroras.php) Status: [http://www.spacew.com](http://www.spacew.com) [http://www.sec.noaa.gov/today2.html](http://www.sec.noaa.gov/today2.html) (bottom) [http://www.spaceweather.com](http://www.spaceweather.com) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/2 "2006-12-15T01:55:31Z")
I’ll give it a try. I’ve never seen one yet. It’s always been cloudy the few nights I’ve known to look. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/3 "2006-12-15T02:03:36Z")
It’s pretty overcast in my part of the world, and I didn’t see anything when I was out about 10 minutes ago. Pity, 'cos it’s very rare to see the aurora this far south. ---
**Author:** ![Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dazzling_White_Diamonds)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/4 "2006-12-15T02:31:28Z")
**rowrrbazzle** , I just logged on to post the same thing. Skies are mostly clear down here. Hoping to get a good viewing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/5 "2006-12-15T02:36:44Z")
Once again the clouds obscure everything. I’ll never see it. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/6 "2006-12-15T03:07:16Z")
Cloudy now, but had a pretty good view around 1900 local. (lat about 43deg 52min N) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/7 "2006-12-15T03:13:48Z")
I thought I saw the lights on the way home! Just white ones so far, no color. Still, it’s nice. I hear we in NA can expect to see them less often over time as the north magnetic pole is migrating steadily further north. ---
**Author:** ![Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dazzling_White_Diamonds)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/8 "2006-12-15T03:24:06Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] I thought I saw the lights on the way home! Just white ones so far, no color. Still, it’s nice. I hear we in NA can expect to see them less often over time as the north magnetic pole is migrating steadily further north. [/QUOTE] Really, **Qadgop**? Might you be able to supply a linky to that? I’d love to read about it. I had watched a Discovery HD program several months back where they discussed the magnetic poles reversing. That really piqued my interest. Here’s an online article discussing the same: [http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/11/15/flip\_pla.html?category=earth&guid=20061115103000](http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/11/15/flip_pla.html?category=earth&guid=20061115103000). Looks like things are waning just a bit. The activity level has dropped to a 9 on the Statistical Auroral Oval map ([http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html](http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html)), which generally means I’m not going to see too much given that I’m in West Central Indiana. nuts. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/9 "2006-12-15T04:15:59Z")
I think I saw them an hour or so ago. It was just a pale band of light in the northern sky. Not bad! I’m in south-central IA (not south-central LA). ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/10 "2006-12-15T04:38:47Z")
Ho lee shit! I thought it was lightning until I saw your thread. I’ve never seen them before. Dark green and sooooooooooooooooooooo cool! Portland, Oregon, between 5 and 8 our time. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/11 "2006-12-15T05:09:04Z")
I called hubby at work to tell him to be on the lookout – we’re in north central Iowa. He said he’s seen a few meteors but no auroras (aurorae?) yet, but he promised to call if he did. We saw green ones about 12 years ago in August during the Perseids – watching the lights and meteors at the same time is (literally) awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/12 "2006-12-15T05:36:21Z")
I just went out and looked 10 minutes ago, but just saw clouds. We’re supposed to have a big storm tonight, so I’m not holding out much hope. \*The auroral activity associate with the solar event on the 13th has arrived and everyone with clear sky in Europe and US is enjoying a great display that started at sunset. Another event occurred on the 14th from the same active region on the sun. It will arrive at 2pm (the same time of day as today’s arrival) on the 16th GMT. So watch the sky tonight, the 14th, probably the 15th and again on the 16th.\* –sayeth the Auroral Alert ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/13 "2006-12-15T09:02:35Z")
When we took off from Vancouver BC tonight the pilot said the aurora was visible from the left side of the aircraft. Of course I was sitting on the right. :smack: ---
**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:** [December 15, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/14 "2006-12-15T16:20:34Z")
I’m too far South. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-possible-tonight/384221/15 "2006-12-16T03:55:15Z")
[QUOTE=Dazzling White Diamonds] Really, **Qadgop**? Might you be able to supply a linky to that? I’d love to read about it. [/QUOTE] > **[BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Magnetic north pole drifting fast](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4520982.stm)** > > The Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away from North America so fast that it could end up in Siberia within 50 years.