# Northern Lights to be Active Friday 9/12 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 12, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256 "2014-09-12T03:05:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/1 "2014-09-12T03:05:55Z")
[Heavy activity of the aurora borealis is being predicted for tomorrow night.](http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/northern-lights-viewing-condit/33834457)Cloud cover and supermoon permitting, it sounds like it will be visible from central MA, north and east; and in Idaho, Washington, and part of Oregon. Also parts of the midwest. I will be off wandering around in the dark tomorrow – I have been trying to see the aurora borealis since I moved to New England. Unfortunately, the aurora has always coincided with cloud cover, so far! Has anyone seen the aurora, and what did you think? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/2 "2014-09-12T03:49:14Z")
I’ve seen them a few times in Massachusetts, most notably the spectacular display of October 2003. Most of the time it’s a fairly faint green glow, but on that occasion it was bright red and covered the sky. Pretty jaw dropping. Try to find a good dark spot to watch from. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/3 "2014-09-12T16:23:50Z")
I live in an area with comparatively little light pollution late at night. 😃 ---
**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:** [September 12, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/4 "2014-09-12T18:41:35Z")
One night, long ago, the north night sky was red over Northern Nevada. I can’t confirm it was the Aurora, but I couldn’t think of any other explanation. If so, that seems pretty far south to see it. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/5 "2014-09-12T18:54:56Z")
“With the northern lights a-runnin’ wild in the land of the midnight sun…” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/6 "2014-09-12T19:04:29Z")
I’ll be out in the dark tonight! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/7 "2014-09-12T19:58:11Z")
Pics, please, for those of us too far south and/or experiencing rainy weather. (Me = both, and I’ve ALWAYS wanted to see the aurora in person.) ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/8 "2014-09-13T15:15:01Z")
Well, I was in an area labeled “Good” viewing - but we had clouds and rain most of the night. About 3am it cleared off but the fog rolled in so I still saw nothing ☹ Anyone have better luck? Anyone get photos? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/9 "2014-09-13T15:57:39Z")
> [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](#): > > Well, I was in an area labeled “Good” viewing - but we had clouds and rain most of the night. About 3am it cleared off but the fog rolled in so I still saw nothing ☹ > Anyone have better luck? Anyone get photos? 🙂 At what altitude do the lights appear (from at the horizon to directly overhead)? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/10 "2014-09-13T16:54:24Z")
Nothing in northeast Mass. Too much cloud cover early in the evening when the storm was at its peak. By 3AM when things were clearer, there was nothing going on that I could see. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/11 "2014-09-13T16:57:14Z")
Clear skies here tonight, but I couldn’t see much of anything. I _thought_ the sky was a little brighter than usual, but I don’t know if that was the aurora or just the moon. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/12 "2014-09-13T17:30:40Z")
Well, I didn’t see squat! That was somewhat of a let-down. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/13 "2014-09-13T18:09:36Z")
[This is EXACTLY what I didn’t see.](http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/09/13/the-northern-lights-shined-new-england-incredible-color-last-night/1peSOOp1JG18qaSFieRLRM/story.html) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/14 "2014-09-13T19:04:46Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > At what altitude do the lights appear (from at the horizon to directly overhead)? Depends on where you are. Generally they’ve overhead if you’re up in or near the Arctic circle, generally lower and in a generally northerly direction from the Arctic circle south to the northern US states, and completely invisible below the northern horizon if you’re much further south. Really strong events are visible farther south and more overhead than weaker events. And almost no events are visible from inside a city or even a good-sized town; the ground lights overwhelm the aurora’s comparatively dim glow. Gardena is a no-hope location for aurora watching. Said another way, an aurora bright enough to be seen through the lights of LA would probably indicate a gamma ray burst had gone off nearby and we’re all about to be dead. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/15 "2014-09-13T20:22:51Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > At what altitude do the lights appear (from at the horizon to directly overhead)? For me in northern WI they’re usually just over the tree line. Also I’ve never seen any colors except plain ol’ green, which is still pretty neat. But last night, nothing. ---
**Author:** ![BaldDudePeekskill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BaldDudePeekskill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldDudePeekskill)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/16 "2014-09-13T21:14:16Z")
Naturally…rained out yet another celestial event. Zero for zero so far this year ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-lights-to-be-active-friday-9-12/698256/17 "2014-09-14T03:51:38Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Nothing in northeast Mass. Too much cloud cover early in the evening when the storm was at its peak. By 3AM when things were clearer, there was nothing going on that I could see. Nothing in the Burlington, MA area, either. While staring at nothing, I was wishing I was at the summer place we rent in Maine. It’s on the water and there’s almost no light pollution – you can see the Milky Way. Beautiful.