# Be on the lookout for aurora borealis tomorrow **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 3, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977 "2010-08-03T04:50:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/21 "2010-08-04T06:30:21Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I’m kind of expecting all the cell phones to stop working, myself. A buddy’s kid dug an old ham radio out of my closet. I figure I’ll chat with my Dad on it, and see if we can change history. (Okay, obscure reference. The aurora story inclined me to watch _Frequency_. And if I want to chat with my Dad, I’ll probably just use Skype, since he’s still alive and gets online most days.) ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/22 "2010-08-04T07:07:09Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > I think I could die happy if I ever saw the fabled Northern Lights. I’ve wanted to see them since I was a kid reading Jack London. Hell, I lived for a long time in South Dakota and never saw them. I guess I’m fated to never see them. I saw them many times driving between Mitchell, Sioux Falls, and Yankton. The clear winter sky on the plains makes it much less dependent on the weather. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/23 "2010-08-05T02:02:36Z")
One of the perks of being unemployed… I can stay up until 2 am and drive out to the country to see them… and then sleep until noon the next day! ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/24 "2010-08-05T02:33:18Z")
My power went out. Is this the end of civilization? Has the solar storm destroyed everything? Am I using my last drops of UPS power on the Dope? ---
**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:** [August 5, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/25 "2010-08-05T02:36:07Z")
> [@Disheavel](#): > > > [@LouisB](#): > > > > I think I could die happy if I ever saw the fabled Northern Lights. I’ve wanted to see them since I was a kid reading Jack London. Hell, I lived for a long time in South Dakota and never saw them. I guess I’m fated to never see them. > > I saw them many times driving between Mitchell, Sioux Falls, and Yankton. The clear winter sky on the plains makes it much less dependent on the weather. You’re also farther north which makes a big difference (see the maps link in my post above). **LouisB** , when the sunspot cycle ramps up in the next few months, you’re almost guaranteed to see aurora from the northern borders of Minnesota or North Dakota. But for a guarantee, visit Alaska. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/26 "2010-08-05T04:21:36Z")
Anyone seen any yet? I miss them so much. It’s not quite dark here yet, but it’s also quite hazy. (Victoria, BC) ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/27 "2010-08-05T04:39:34Z")
[quote=“rowrrbazzle, post:25, topic:548977”] > [@Disheavel](#): > > But for a guarantee, visit Alaska. But not in the summertime. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/28 "2010-08-05T09:19:46Z")
> [@Disheavel](#): > > > [@LouisB](#): > > > > I think I could die happy if I ever saw the fabled Northern Lights. I’ve wanted to see them since I was a kid reading Jack London. Hell, I lived for a long time in South Dakota and never saw them. I guess I’m fated to never see them. > > I saw them many times driving between Mitchell, Sioux Falls, and Yankton. The clear winter sky on the plains makes it much less dependent on the weather. I lived in Yankton but somehow never managed to see them; at one point I lived in an earth sheltered house seven miles from town and still didn’t see them. Bad Karma, I suppose. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977.md?page=1)