Araura Borealis/ Northern Lights

[hvt]

They are back!, I just came inside from witnessing one the most astounding displays of natural beauty I have seen for a long time, streaks and patches of red, green and a little orange dancing and flashing across the entire night sky. It went on for about 15 minutes, WOW! I have not seen them like this since I was 10 years old.
I am in Ottawa Canada, it gets dark here at 5pm these days, I was out between 6:30 and 7:00 roughly, do you guys see them where you are?

BTW, I am not under the influence of any drugs/alcohol in case you were wondering!!!! (Diceman)

[simpleman]

I have, but only from the discovery channel.Too cool.

[duc dowg]

there cool my granddad has seen them in person

[btj steamfitter / ref]

my parents retired to alaska they just sent me a calender with pics of the northern lights on them and wow it is something I would like to see in person, dad said the natives beleive that the lights are unborn children playing in the heavens

[Carnak]

Haven't seen them in more than 6 years now, remember them mostly as green

[bb]

Originally posted by hvt
They are back!, I just came inside from witnessing one the most astounding displays of natural beauty I have seen for a long time, streaks and patches of red, green and a little orange dancing and flashing across the entire night sky. It went on for about 15 minutes, WOW! I have not seen them like this since I was 10 years old.
I am in Ottawa Canada, it gets dark here at 5pm these days, I was out between 6:30 and 7:00 roughly, do you guys see them where you are?

BTW, I am not under the influence of any drugs/alcohol in case you were wondering!!!! (Diceman)

If you could get some pics that would be cool.
Always was impressed with what I've seen on tv.

[midhvac]

Originally posted by hvt
They are back!, I just came inside from witnessing one the most astounding displays of natural beauty I have seen for a long time, streaks and patches of red, green and a little orange dancing and flashing across the entire night sky. It went on for about 15 minutes, WOW! I have not seen them like this since I was 10 years old.


Used to see that all the time in the 60's, man. Still haven't quite gotten over it yet. The last time, my car was like floating about 18' in the air and all the leaves were like blowing under it way down down there, dudes. It was like really far out too.

[Dad]

I WANT PICTURES! ! ! :D

I have always lived in the south and Windsor is as far north as I have ever been.

Would love to see them.

[hvt]

Just got back in again, they have been going for a while now, I wish I could get pics for everyone but I dont have a digicam.
I see the lights quite often in the winter, but only a bit of green in the north sky, tonight they are all around. I can try and borrow a camera tomorrow,in case the lights are on again, keep your fingers crossed!
I guess the further north you go, the more you see of these.

[RoBoTeq]

IT'S A SIGN!!!! THE END IS NEAR!!!! AAARRRGGGGGGG.......

[Green Mountain]

When I was a kid in Upstate New York there was a winter when we had streaks of white lights to the North. Everyone said that they where the Northern Lights. I remember seeing them. But when I tell the story everyone say that I am nuts.

Is it possible to see them that far south?

[TB]

Friends from Spokane said they seen them tonight. I haven't, too foggy out now.

Last year I seen them all arround me. I looked straight up and it was like being on the inside of a baloon looking at the "belly button???"

Im at about 49* north benncool. thats about the same lattitude isn't it?

[Edited by TB on 11-08-2004 at 02:46 AM]

[absrbrtek]

I saw them on my way to China when we were flying over Thunderbay Ont. Was some excellent viewing at a beautiful site.

[Stamas]

Stayed out on the bay fishing till @ 12am. We thought it was wild. Tried calling Coast Guard to see if they knew what was up but they were asleep at the switch.
We watched it for awhile, they moved off in the sky but came back.
I forgot about it till setting up calls for today, we were talking about it then I saw this post. Thought it was the Mexican beer we had been drinking, leftover from a crabfeast.

[Carnak]

Originally posted by absrbrtek
I saw them on my way to China when we were flying over Thunderbay Ont. Was some excellent viewing at a beautiful site.

You sure that wasn't the Griswalds who lived down the street from my parents?

[Diceman]

Send me some of whatever it is you are not smoking.
My son has seen them in North Dakota, the very northern part, where the winters are also brutal.
I saw them in college, in my front yard, along with some other very strange things.

[operator]

Saw them during the blackout last year just outside T.O.

[incontrol]

I saw them last night too. Unbelievable. I am in central michigan and they kind of funneled exactly over my house. It was like looking up a 1000 mile curtain. They changed shape and had bright patches and streaks shooting around. Went on several hours with the reds coming later.

[driftwood]

back in the 60s dice used to see that stuff before breakfast most mornings. some can't spell , some can't think

[spyman]

I saw them quite a bit years ago while in the Yukon.

The first time I ran outside so fast I didn't bother to put long pants on - I was standing there with my Parka on, Sorells (no socks) and my shorts.

I froze! It was New Years Eve 1987 and it was about 45 below. One of my buddies at the time had his little point and click camera trying to take pictures... he wouldn't believe me that the flash wasn't exactly helping his picture quality.

Pics are nice but you have to see them in person, it is the motion that is so spectacular.

[Don Sleeth]

Nuts, I didn't see this thread until now, I missed it :(.

Hopefully they will be visible tonight and I will try to get some pics. Here is a website with the forecast http://www.spaceweather.gc.ca/myservlet/forecast?station=ott&mapname=east_n_america&version=eng

unfortunately there is a fair amount of cloud cover here right now, so I don't know...

don

[Don Sleeth]

Okay, here are a couple of pics of the northern sky last night at the cottage. It actually wasn't quite as dramatic as the pics suggest, it is just that the slow shutter speed collects the light making it look like more than reality. The shutter speed was 8 seconds for one and 15 for the other.

http://www.hvacloads.com/talkpics/don/3074big.jpg

http://www.hvacloads.com/talkpics/don/3080big.jpg

don

[tonys]

'Aurora' Borealis

[absrbrtek]

There should be more on Thursday or Friday nite. http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1387_1.asp

[driftwood]

great pix don where do you live?

[Don Sleeth]

Originally posted by driftwood


great pix don where do you live?

Those are taken from the deck of my cottage which is 25 miles north of Ottawa.

[Carnak]

Don

You forgot to tell him the lake is adjacent to a spent nuclear fuel dump