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Intense Aurora Activity Now

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markt
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« Reply #15 on: September 13, 2009, 04:10:01 pm »

BTW, Mark, what is the strange blue light in the corner of the images?

Hi Roman,
Its the Icelandic Peace Tower http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagine_Peace_Tower It's a light polluting monstrosity that Yoko Ono had built in dedication to John Lennon.  Here's a pickie I took >>>

Initially I thought it would make a nice 'frame' to my pictures, but rapidly got angry with it and moved it out of shot!  It really is bright - you can see in the gif below where it hits the clouds it really is brighter than a full moon and casts shadows.

What is worrying in my mind is that i've heard that some of the more unscrupulous companies that do 'northern lights tours' in Iceland, if they are unsuccessful in finding aurora they show you the peace tower instead!!!  I did one of these 'northern lights tours' once - never again!  6 coaches all pull up with their 300-400 passengers getting out, the majority of which who think the best way to capture an aurora is to use a flash - grrrr!  Now, with use of a good map, i've found a spot tucked away in a small cove in the bay- walking distance from the hotel, where you are in the shadow of the cities lights and nobody bothers you, sat on a rock with a beer for company - Pure bliss!!!!  Grin
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martinastro
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« Reply #16 on: September 13, 2009, 08:31:31 pm »

Love the animated gif Mark!

High lats are already on red at the moment for aurora activity. I wonder if there's a slight chance tonight of something further south. Aurora activity is to be unsettled until the 15th.

http://www.spacew.com/
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Roman White
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« Reply #17 on: September 14, 2009, 09:19:57 am »

What a beautiful moster!  Roll Eyes I am sure it makes much less light pollution than the street lights of Reykjavík.
Thanks for posting that, I like the GIF too.  Smiley
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markt
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« Reply #18 on: October 28, 2009, 02:31:10 pm »

University of Lancaster has issued an Aurora watch red alert

AuroraWatch Alert, 11:07 UT  28 Oct 2009:
VERY LARGE increase in local activity, possible SSC.
http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch/

Lets hope for clear skies tonight!
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martinastro
Martin Mc Kenna
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« Reply #19 on: October 28, 2009, 03:42:15 pm »

Mark, thanks for posting this. I can't get the link to work though. I don't know why an alert has been issued because the other aurora forecast sites are saying that no geomagentic activity is expected tonight. AR1029 released six flares, however I'm not sure if any of them where Earth-directed, perhaps several where. Other than this I can't see where the aurora activity would be coming from.

In any case I will be watching the charts and skies tonight...just a pity it's to be cloudy!
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martinastro
Martin Mc Kenna
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« Reply #20 on: October 28, 2009, 07:41:49 pm »

Turns out the alert was false  Cry
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markt
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« Reply #21 on: October 29, 2009, 12:15:22 am »

Turns out the alert was false  Cry

Yes, my detective work led me to the same conclusion - oh well...  Undecided

Guess somebody drove past their detector with a great big speaker system in the boot of their car or something...   Roll Eyes
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« Reply #22 on: November 08, 2009, 06:40:09 pm »

Worth keeping an eye on the aurora charts tonight, IMF is far south although the KP and oval are still weak...just a thought.

Someone from UKWW reporting a sighting of a Chinese Lantern this evening near Belfast, keep an eye out for those too.
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