[AZ-Observing] Re: Aurorae underway

Jenn and I are in Alaska through the end of this week.  While a trip up toward 
Fairbanks means an 80% chance of seeing the aurorae, we opted for the southern 
leg of our trip to the Kenai Peninsula for the past four days -- two in Seward 
and two in beautiful Homer.  The first night in Homer (Saturday) began partly 
cloudy, and miraculously cleared by 11 p.m.

We were treated to an all-sky display with the southern edge of the lights 
about 10 degrees above the southern horizon.  What was the most striking was 
how rapidly the pulsations moved from the horizon to the magnetic zenith (just 
south of the zenith).  At the peak of the all-night display, these took only a 
couple tenths of a second.  Also very striking was the convergence of the rays 
of the curtain.  It's an illusion much like crepuscular rays.  The most 
prominent color was the usual lime green, but the fringes were magenta, which 
Jenn's eyes saw much better than mine.

Jeff Medkeff, at whose house we are again staying, said this was among the best 
half dozen displays he has seen in his 18 months near Anchorage.

I'll post some pictures when we return.

Just can't express how happy both of us are to have seen this display.

Tom


> 
> From: Brian Skiff <Brian.Skiff@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 2005/09/11 Sun AM 03:08:26 EDT
> To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [AZ-Observing] Aurorae underway
> 
>      A note about all-sky aurorae from a friend in Saskachewan included
> mention that the aurorae is now faintly visible in our Anderson Mesa
> webcam:
> 
> http://www.lowell.edu/users/buie/wxpix
> 
> ...so it is just becoming visible here.  The space.com site mentioned
> earlier....
> 
> http://www.spacew.com/www/aurora.php
> 
> ...shows us up to ~200 gigawatts power and the auroral coverage has
> gone red.
> 
> \Brian
> --
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