Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

MoBambaNYC OP t1_jau3qme wrote

Reply to comment by sisment in Aurora over Alaska 2/27/2023 [2807x3656] [OC] by MoBambaNYC

Yup. The Kp really isn’t a good way to forecast the aurora as it’s a measure of previous activity. We like to look at solar wind speeds and the bz. When the BZ is negative with an elevated solar wind there will be aurora.

I’m an aurora guide in Alaska and have seen it every night I have gone looking for it this season. As long as the skies are clear and you can see stars you have a chance. Download the space weather live app

63

Tswiggle t1_jauz130 wrote

An aurora guide? I've never heard of it but it's already my dream job.

10

elevenhundred t1_jaxwbxc wrote

I've worked as an Aurora guide. Be prepared for long nights, driving in the dark, not having a real social life, losing out on way too many days of skiing, and basically never seeing the sun.

7

Tswiggle t1_jaxzl60 wrote

Okay, fair enough. Seems way less awesome now.

3

MoBambaNYC OP t1_jayc05l wrote

That is all true. It’s definitely a grind. December and January are the toughest. But The bonus is I only work 8 months a year

3

Ruralraan t1_javhrj7 wrote

Are they as vibrant so far up north as they look? We recently could see them here in northern Germany, but they weren't directly above us, but far away. They looked more like fog banks that twinkled sometimes far out at sea, and if you didn't know what to look for, you'd overlook them. They only looked a bit more colourful on photographes, and vibrant only when the photograph was reworked. To me in reality they didn't even look as greenish nor lilac as in the 2nd, non enhanced picture (yes the quality is bad, I shot it with a cellphone without tripod). But I heard the more north you go, the more vibrant the colors look.

6

fe-fi-fo-throwaway t1_javs34m wrote

Saw a few in Iceland but they weren’t perceptible as auroras with the naked eye. Saw one the same night as this picture in Seattle and they were noticeably green to the naked eye and brighter on a camera.

3

supermarkise t1_javzrt4 wrote

The bright ones absolutely are as bright as they look here on the picture. You'll have to be used to the low light levels, but I absolutely saw something like this image. It's much cooler in reality because the structure won't be as washed out and it'll be moving, sometimes really fast.

3

fe-fi-fo-throwaway t1_jawy2ny wrote

That’s pretty neat! I’d love to see bright auroras like the image one day, hopefully in other colors too. Regardless, it’s such a magical experience.

2

PMinisterOfMalaysia t1_jav5n5e wrote

>have seen it every night I have gone looking for it this season

What does looking for it involve other than going outside?

2

MoBambaNYC OP t1_jav6o15 wrote

Clear skies. No clouds. As little moon light and ambient as possible. And a few other factors. But mostly being away from light and clouds

3

PMinisterOfMalaysia t1_jb3hh7x wrote

Thank you! Downloaded the app you recomeded elsewhere & am hoping to see them in Sitka tonight

2

MoBambaNYC OP t1_jb3hqsq wrote

Best of luck to you. Should be pretty active tonight. Look for a negative -bz.

1

eolai t1_jawaa2w wrote

What counts as elevated for solar wind?

Every time I try to dig into aurora forecasts and reports, I just end up getting overwhelmed by all the different metrics. I wish one of the services would just do a "heads up, likely aurora tonight or tomorrow" notification, but instead it's all elevated Kp this and solar flare that.

2

MoBambaNYC OP t1_jaxvw3t wrote

Anything over 500 for solar wind speed. 20 density. It’s really not too complicated once you figure it out a little bit but at first all the scientific lingo can def be a bit overwhelming

1

reddog323 t1_javy581 wrote

I love the magenta hues, and I’ve never seen those before. Have those been more prevalent lately?

1

MoBambaNYC OP t1_jaw3hvu wrote

That specific night there reds were really intense., probably the reddest I’ve see. This is caused by denser solar winds creating aurora at really high atmospheric levels. Usually below the reds is where the whites form, so often you’ll get all sorts of reds/pinks.

2

yohoob t1_jay3nr0 wrote

I want to plan a trip to see something like this in person. What do you recommend for a trip to see this? Pick some nights and hope it shows?

1

MoBambaNYC OP t1_jay5p8o wrote

Basically it’s a total crap shoot. You wanna plan around a new moon if possible and elevated solar data.

2