Northern Lights
 

I know some people are keen to get to see the Northern Lights and have been unsuccessful over the last while.

Well, there is currently a reasonable storm in progress which should be sufficient to give lights over most of the UK. I am aware that it is daylight and so this information isn't much good to anyone. However, it is possible that the storm might keep going until after dark this evening as more ejections from the sun are due to arrive.

Seeing the lights requires pretty light pollution free skies and is, to some degree, a matter of luck but it might be worth a look this evening. The problem, of course, is that it doesn't really get dark at this time of year.

If the storm does continue through to this evening it is possible that this will be the last chance we get to see the lights for quite some time, perhaps until nearly 2010, as they depend on cycles of sun spots which should be reducing in numbers at this time. In saying that the current sun cycle isn't behaving exactly as predicted; I'm pretty sure this environmental change on the sun is due to human carbon emissions and the fact that we drive fast cars!

Thanks for that. Will take a look tonight.

Just need this cloud cover to clear. :(

John.

You can sign up to an email service that alerts you to such events. I got this one earlier:
--snip--
AuroraWatch Alert, 08:01 UT 25 Jul 2004:
VERY HIGH local activity, possible ongoing geomagnetic storm.
http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch/

This email has been sent by the AuroraWatch mailing list.
To unsubscribe or change your alert status visit
http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/auro...-bin/subscribe
--snip-
Use the second URL if you want to subscribe.

Thanks, but as with the last series earlier in the year the cloud is back and here to stay by the looks of it :(