[Astronews] Fwd: North American Skies Email Alert: Auroras Possible

[IAAS Monthly Astronomy Newsletter]

A possible treat for those living in the north. 
I'd love to receive observation reports and pics from my readers. 
I'll publish in next month's newsletter (with your permission of course).
73 & Keep looking up!
Burness Ansell
Publisher, IAAS Monthly Astronomy Newsletter


Begin forwarded message:

> From: "starman at usa.net" <starman at usa.net>
> Date: January 8, 2014 at 4:15:04 PM MST
> To: ki0ar at yahoo.com
> Subject: North American Skies Email Alert: Auroras Possible
> Reply-To: starman at usa.net
> 
> North American Skies Email Alert: Auroras Possible
> Wednesday, 8 January 2014
> Northern Lights!
> 
> Wednesday, 8 January 2014
> 
> I do not always send out alerts like this, just because they are so iffy. However, this time it seemed appropriate.
> 
> The Space Weather Prediction Center of NOAA predicts that there is a reasonable chance of auroras, Wednesday through Friday nights from Pennsylvania to Oregon across the US and northward through Canada and Alaska. The best chance, in my opinion only, may be Thursday night into Friday morning. (SWPC http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/) Also see these links http://goo.gl/alKe & http://goo.gl/oMJ7h
> 
> So, if you are in Calgary, are you guaranteed a show? Or what about the San Francisco area, or DFW, or my hometown of Little Rock, or even Miami.... is there any chance?
> 
> This is just a general alert and no one can really be more specific. For all that matter, nothing at all may be seen, but the conditions are favorable. Something likely is to be seen, although it could stay north of the Canadian border. So while Calgary has pretty good chances, given clear skies, the farther South you go the lower the overall odds.
> 
> However, the exact locations are notoriously difficult to predict and sometimes "surprise" auroras are seen much farther South. Within the past few years, reports have come in from as far South as SoCal and Arizona, and they have been seen several times here in Colorado. But the fact is, active monitoring of auroras and the specific solar activity that causes them is fairly recent and not as "advanced" say as meteorology today. 
> 
> The earthly weather folks have gotten pretty accurate with short range forecasts over the next day or two, but space weather scientists are not quite that far along just because they do not have the backlog of experience and understanding (as a study). Others may differ, but I would say that spaceweather is where the earthly weather predictions were maybe 15-20 years ago. So they can predict the general conditions well, but on the specifics they are a bit less accurate. Just, IMO.
> 
> If it is clear where you are, and especially if you are somewhere in the northern tier of US states or in Canada, check outside before you go to bed over the next few nights. A fairly bright (and brightening) Moon will interfere until it sets, which unfortunately not until after 1 or 2 am and getting later each night. You might check out these pages to get a better idea for Oregon: http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/ and http://helios.swpc.noaa.gov/ovation/images/Aurora_Map_N.png
> 
> Larry Sessions
> 
> 
> For day-to-day listings, please check out the North American Skies Twitter feed: NASkies   You do not have to have a Twitter account, nor do you have to "follow" the account to view it.
> 
> Want more?
> 
> Here are some links for you. 
> EarthSky.com
> http://www.earthsky.org
> Spaceweather.com
> http://www.spaceweather.com/
> North American Skies Twitter page:
> http://twitter.com/NASkies
> North American Skies Skywatcher
> http://paper.li/NASkies/north-american-skies
> Satellites, ISS passage predictions and more
> ISS & SATELLITE PASSAGES
> 
> And on Facebook, Northern Skies:
> http://www.facebook.com/people/Northern-Skies/100001296632953?ref=search
> and EarthSky:
> http://www.facebook.com/EarthSky
> Good luck and clear skies
> 
> Remember, "It's all over your head!"
> Larry Sessions, Denver
> Feel free to email your questions.
> 
> If you are not already a member of this North American Skies email alert list, you can sign up here:
> North American Skies email alert
> and you should consider joining Jeff Bennett's email list:
> Jeff Bennett's News Articles and Newsletters
> (Jeff is an author and PhD astronomer in Boulder, Colorado)
> In the Southern Hemisphere? check out Ian Maclean's
> Night Sky Secrets page
> For a daily fix of science news and views, visit:
> EarthSky.org
> And for great music to observe or work by, try King FM (Seattle), KDFC (San Francisco) or KVOD (Denver):
> King FM
> KDFC
> KVOD
> 
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