Green and Red Auroras Light Up St. Patrick’s Day Dawn

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day - a
A spectacular green and red aurora photographed early this morning March 17, 2015, from Donnelly Creek, Alaska. Credit: Sebastian Saarloos

A strong G3 geomagetic storm surged across the planet this morning producing a spectacular display of the northern lights. Some of you may who may have risen to see the new nova were no doubt as surprised as the NOAA space weather folks, whose overnight forecast did not include an alert for even a minor storm.

So what happened? Let’s just say the Sun isn’t always as predictable as we’d like. An interplanetary shock wave in the form of a sudden increase in the solar wind speed from 250 miles per second to 375 mph (400-600 km/sec) began blasting Earth shortly before midnight. It appears the combined effects of earlier coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and an outpouring of high-speed solar particles from a gaping hole in the Sun’s magnetic canopy crashed through Earth’s magnetic defenses.

Particle-wise, all hell broke loose. You can start looking for more as soon as it gets dark tonight.

A powerful X2.2-class flare from sunspot region 2297 glows fiery yellow in this photo taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on March 11, 2015. Credit: NASA
A powerful X2.2-class flare from sunspot region 2297 glows intensely in this photo taken in short wavelength ultraviolet light by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on March 11, 2015. Credit: NASA Goddard SDO

We know that recent flares from sunspot group 2297 have sent more than a few billows of solar particles our way called CMEs or coronal mass ejections. Weekend forecasts called for minor storms but little materialized. Only when we thought it was safe to go back to bed did the aurora pounce. Reading the magnetospheric tea leaves, better known as the Kp index, a measure of magnetic activity high overhead in Earth’s ionosphere, quiet conditions gave way to auroral abandon starting around 1 a.m (CDT) today.

A wall of colorful red and green aurora met the eye and camera of Jim Schaff of Duluth this morning around 3 a.m. CDT. Credit: Jim Schaff
A wall of colorful red and green aurora met the eye and camera of Jim Schaff of Duluth this morning around 3 a.m. CDT. Credit: Jim Schaff

Like a spring grassfire the northern lights took off from there and burned till dawn, peaking between 2 and 4 a.m. Most of us are usually asleep during those deep hours of the night, but I’m hoping those who arose to see the nova or catch the lunar crescent at dawn may have been as surprised and delighted as I was to see auroras.

Like paw prints made by a cat, pale green auroral rays mark the northern sky around 5:45 a.m this morning March 17. Credit: Bob King
Like paw prints made by a cat, pale green auroral rays mark the northern sky around 5:45 a.m this morning March 17. Credit: Bob King

More are in the offing. The latest space weather forecast calls for continued severe storms (G3 or higher) to continue through tonight. G1 or minor storms are normally only visible as arcs or low rays across the north from the northern tier of states, but if tonight’s forecast holds, a fair portion of the U.S. should see auroras. Keep an eye peeled for bright, moving glow and arcs across the northern sky.

The awesome 30-minute aurora forecast map updates the shrinking and expanding of Earth's northern auroral oval due to changes in the solar wind from CMEs, flares and the like. This view is from this morning around 4:55 a.m. Red indicates intense aurora. Credit: NOAA
The awesome 30-minute aurora forecast map updates the shrinking and expanding of Earth’s northern auroral oval due to changes in the solar wind from CMEs, flares and the like. This view is from this morning around 4:55 a.m. Red indicates intense aurora. Credit: NOAA

There are lots of tools available you can use yourself to know if auroras are lurking about. First, check the NOAA 3-day space weather forecast. There you’ll see a list of times along with a Kp index number indicating magnetic activity. Number “1-4” means no storm and little likelihood you’ll see an aurora. “5”  indicates a minor storm; the higher the number the more severe the storm and more widespread the northern lights will be.

Curtains of aurora still pushed through the growing light of dawn. Credit: Bob King
Curtains of aurora still pushed through the growing light of dawn (blue sky at top). Credit: Bob King

There’s also a nice visual representation of the numbers on the Planetary K-index site, where magnetic activity is updated every 3 hours.  The dashed line on the bar chart represents 0 UT or 7 p.m. CDT. One of my favorites and the ultimate visual feast of an aurora indicator is NOAA’s Aurora 30-minute Forecast. Here you get a birds-eye representation of the current aurora based on satellite data. When the permanent auroral oval expands southward and intensifies, put on your coat and head out for a look. For education and entertainment, click on the gray arrow below the graphic and you’ll see a whole day’s worth of activity play out before your eyes. Totes cool.

ACE plot from a June 2013 aurora. Note the steep drop in the Bz. Credit: NOAA
ACE plot from a June 2013 aurora. Note the steep drop in the Bz. ACE  orbits around the L1 Lagrange point about a million miles ahead of Earth in the direction of the Sun. There it studies the incoming particle streams from the Sun hours before they reach Earth. Credit: NOAA

I’m also in big believer in the the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Bz plot. Bz is the direction of the embedded solar magnetic field that gift-wraps the streams of high-speed particles sent our way by the Sun. Like a magnet, it has a south pole and a north pole. When the south pole of the field sweeps by – what scientists call a negative Bz – the blast is more likely to link up with Earth’s magnetic field and spark auroras. When you see the Bz “head south” to -5 or lower, there’s a chance for auroras.

Now that you’re armed with information, cross your fingers all the indicators will point in the right direction for the aurora to continue tonight. And yes, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Skiing stop to take in the northern lights near Fairbanks Monday night. Credit: John Chumack
Skywatchers stop to take in the northern lights near Fairbanks Monday night. Credit: John Chumack

UPDATE: The storm continues and is now rated G4 or severe as of 10 a.m. CDT. Lucky for you if you live somewhere where it’s dark right now.

Clear Skies Tonight? Go Out and See the Aurora

A low arc, glowing green from excited oxygen, spans the northern sky around 10:30 p.m Central Daylight Time from Duluth, Minn. The Big Dipper is off to the left. Credit: Bob King

Talk of aurora is in the air.  Our earlier story today by Elizabeth Howell alerted you to the possibility of northern lights. Well, it’s showtime!  As of 9:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time, the aurora has been active low in the northern sky.

Subtle pink rays stand above the green arc at 9:35 p.m. CDT. Credit: Bob King
Subtle pink rays stand above the green arc at 9:35 p.m. CDT. Credit: Bob King

From Duluth, Minn. U.S.,  a classic green arc low in the northern sky competed with the light of the rising gibbous moon. Once my eyes were dark-adapted, faint parallel rays stood streaked the sky above the arc. NOAA space weather forecasters expect this storm to peak between 1 a.m. CDT and sunrise Friday morning September 12 at a G2 or moderate level. Skywatchers across the northern tier of states and southern Canada should see activity across the northern sky. Moonlight will compromise the show, but it rises later each night and dims through the weekend.

The approximate extent of the auroral oval forecast for 11:30 p.m. CDT from Ovation. Credit: NOAA
The approximate extent of the auroral oval forecast for 11:30 p.m. CDT from Ovation. Credit: NOAA

This is only the start. Things really kick into gear Friday night and Saturday morning when a G3 strong geomagnetic storm is expected from the more direct blast sent our way by the September 10 X1.6 flare. Auroras might be visible as far south as Illinois and Kansas.

We’ll keep you in touch with storm activity by posting regular updates over the next couple days. Including odd hours. Here are some links to check during the night as you wait for the aurora to put in an appearance at your house:

* Ovation oval – shows the approximate extent of the auroral oval that looks like a cap centered on Earth’s geomagnetic pole. During storms, the oval extends south into the northern U.S. and farther.

* Kp index – indicator of magnetic activity high overhead and updated every three hours. A Kp index of “5” means the onset of a minor storm; a Kp of “6”, a moderate storm.

* NOAA space weather forecast

* Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite plots – The magnetic field direction of the arriving wind from the sun. The topmost graph, plotting Bz, is your friend. When the curve drops into the negative zone that’s good! A prolonged stay at -10 or lower increases the chance of seeing the aurora. Negative numbers indicate a south-pointing magnetic field, which has a greater chance of  linking into Earth’s northward-pointing field and wriggling its way past our magnetic defenses and sparking auroras.

Your Guide To When, Where and How To See The Aurora Borealis

A beautiful display of the aurora borealis on June 6 this year. The line of light is the International Space Station; an airplane is off to the left. Credit: Bob King

As an amateur astronomer, two of the most frequently questions I’m asked are “When is the best time to see the aurora borealis and where is the best place?” In terms of place, two locations comes to mind: Churchill, Manitoba and Tromso, Norway. But until such time as the transporter is invented, most of us will be staying closer to home. The simple answer is north and the farther north the better.

As for the time, in the northern border states of the US, auroras occur fairly regularly around the time of solar maximum, when the sun peaks in storm activity. The current solar cycle tops out this summer and fall, so your chances at seeing northern lights are far better now than a year and a half ago when solar activity saw a steep decline during a protracted minimum.

Continue reading “Your Guide To When, Where and How To See The Aurora Borealis”