hedgehog

If you can see some sky and are in an un-light-polluted area then there is a good possibility that you may be able to view some Northern Lights right now. Unfortunately I know it is raining in the Hebrides and there is pretty heavy cloud cover in many other places in the north but still worth a look.

There may be another chance tomorrow (Monday) night.

hedgehog

As an update to this it was a most amazing night, though I saw none of it because of cloud. However, I mailed a lot of mates in the US as a heads up and they were seeing lights as far south as central Colorado, i.e. less than 39 degrees north!

There is a small possibility that the show might continue tonight, in truth a huge storm is still continuing but only those who still have darkness will be able to see it.

milo

is this anywhere in england, or just oop north?

GC8

Anywhere if they can be seen from Colarodo; we're at about 50 - 58 Degrees North (Cornwall - Highlands) I think...

Simon

ajm

Have you noticed that whenever there is an "event" like this in the UK we get the thickest cloud layer! Apart from seeing Mars when it was extra close I don't remember ever having had an uninterrupted view of an eclipse, meteor shower or anything else! don't bother getting up for them anymore!

minor_threat

LOL! Me too! I always read the weather very carefully now when doing general astronomy as well, because by the time I've dragged telescope, wedge mount, eyepieces, laptop and camera outside, set it all up, polar aligned and allowed it all to cool down the clouds have drifted over! Although, of course, even the best weather reports don't tell you about (very) localised fog/mist rolling in off the fields nearby and neighbours who for some reason want to spotlight their entire garden with the equivalent power of 10 billion candles for the whole of that night.

Geezer

Have a look here for how it could look here if the cloud clears..... pics

Michigan is at a lower latitude than us, so here's hoping...............

Geezer

hedgehog

The display last night was seen as far south as California and would certainly have been visible across all the British Isles, where there were breaks in the cloud.

Watching northern lights is not like it is in the Disney movies, for a start it doesn't come with dramatic music. It is often quite a subtle effect that is easily washed out by light pollution and it also takes a while for your eyes to get used to the dark. Just peeking out around the curtains will not let you see the lights, usually it takes at least 10 minutes standing out in the dark for the eyes to get into the swing.

Currently there is a weak storm starting up and there is the possibility that this might increase as the night goes on, giving us another chance. At the minute it is impossible to judge, it might just die out, and it is also unlikely that the storm will be as extreme as it was last night. We also have almost total cloud cover over the British Isles tonight but there is always the chance of local breaks so if you are up and about later on then go out and take a look. Due to the current solar cycle it might be 2010 before you get another chance.

Kevin Groat

60 deg north - we see them pretty regularly up here. Although all I can see tonight is the glare from the 300 foot flare stack at the oil terminal a few miles away

hedgehog

At 60N the cloud cover is still looking pretty complete. The best chances of an onshore break look to be down the east coast from about Edinburgh to the Wash. However, the magnetic storm isn't heating up much as yet so don't make the trip specially :-)

Geezer

We have clearish skies here, and after 10 minutes outside there is bugger all to see

Geezer

hedgehog

Yeah, the storm is still not strong enough for lights this far south.

Still worth keeping an eye out if you are up and about over the next few hours but I don't think it is going to take off like it did last night.

rotty

saw some excellent northern lights in Amsterdam a few weeks ago





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