# This weekend's aurora borealis (Labor Day 2019) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2019, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510 "2019-08-31T04:12:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510/1 "2019-08-31T04:12:24Z")
Here in my Iowa vantage point, they’re saying it should be visible from here. I may head a few hundred miles north, something I was thinking about doing anyway, to get a better view. I have never seen it (that I know of) although it has appeared a number of times in my region. I was talking to my 86-year-old father this evening, and he said he saw a full-fledged aurora as a kid (he didn’t remember the year) and this was not just a greenish glow on the northern horizon; it was curtains of light waving around and it was spectacular. He’d never told me this before. I should head over to Google to find out if there’s any online documentation of this. Anyway, it’s on my bucket list, so maybe I can scratch off one more item. 🆒 And I won’t need eye protection, either. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510/2 "2019-08-31T04:16:41Z")
(Barely missed edit deadline) I found this story, which is from 2005 but it still has the relevant information. It could have been any of a couple dozen incidents. > **[Space Weather Newspaper Archives](http://www.solarstorms.org/SRefStorms.html)** > > Space Weather Newspaper Archives ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510/3 "2019-08-31T21:41:00Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Here in my Iowa vantage point, they’re saying it should be visible from here. I may head a few hundred miles north, something I was thinking about doing anyway, to get a better view. I have never seen it (that I know of) although it has appeared a number of times in my region. > > I was talking to my 86-year-old father this evening, and he said he saw a full-fledged aurora as a kid (he didn’t remember the year) and this was not just a greenish glow on the northern horizon; it was curtains of light waving around and it was spectacular. He’d never told me this before. I should head over to Google to find out if there’s any online documentation of this. > > Anyway, it’s on my bucket list, so maybe I can scratch off one more item. 🆒 And I won’t need eye protection, either. I can remember seeing one full on wavy gravy tripy aurora back in the early 1970s from a location in Western NY state … not entirely certain exactly how old I was, or what summer month it was [August/September?] ---
**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:** [August 31, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510/4 "2019-08-31T22:23:28Z")
I’ve seen it once in Northern Nevada. It was pretty groovy. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510/5 "2019-09-01T00:03:19Z")
I decided not to make the trip; I’m coming down with a cold and it doesn’t look like the weather will cooperate. Maybe next time. ---
**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 2, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510/6 "2019-09-02T04:28:16Z")
Got too involved in football and fancy beer to look north. I guess I missed it too, if it was visible. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weekends-aurora-borealis-labor-day-2019/839510/7 "2019-09-02T15:14:00Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Here in my Iowa vantage point, they’re saying it should be visible from here. I may head a few hundred miles north, something I was thinking about doing anyway, to get a better view. I have never seen it (that I know of) although it has appeared a number of times in my region. Hmm, as luck would have it, I’m in northern Minnesota this weekend. I was outside until about 10:00 on Saturday and didn’t see anything. And last night was overcast. Is it supposed to still be visible tonight, and at what time? Even if I don’t see an aurora, it’s been an interesting trip. Heard the call of the loons, and walked across the Mississippi River on stepping stones.