Aurora Questions

K
From: "Kilolani"
K
Subject: Aurora Questions
K
Organization: Hui Kilolani
K
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2003 07:11:40 GMT


K I have a couple of questions concerning auroras. They're probably
K dumb, but here goes:
K
K First: If an aurora is visible, say, in North Carolina, will it be
K visible in Vermont where I live?
K
K Probably... at any rate you'll see a LOT more aurora in Vermont than they do
K in North Carolina.

Likely not. In the last round of aurora in the US, the displays
seemed to be very localized. Folk in one county saw a dispaly while
those in nearby ones saw nothing or a weak one.
Of course, the ODDS of seeing aurora in Vermont are far far
greater than in North Carolina. It's just not the very same one the
two places see.

K
K Second: If the answer to the above is positive, will the aurora be
K high in my sky? I have a mountain to the north and probably can't see
K anything below 40 degrees.
K
K I've seen some aurorae in Vermont that reached higher than 40 degress... but
K I'd have to say most don't.

`Again the local nature of aurora gives each site more or less an
independent show. The aurora seen in NC in the north is most probably
NOT the very one at the instant seen in VT ovrhead.

K
K Third: Is there an optimum time during the night when viewing is
K best?

It seems that surora are most commonly see starting at dusk and
running thru local midnight. In some cases the surora was in progress
at sunset and revealed bby the darkening sky. In other cases, the
aurora began in twilight or nightfall.
Beyond midnight there are far fewer observers outside to catch
aurorae.
I do read from time to time that the atmosphere changes somehow
with departure of sunlight, evening twilight, to increase the chances
of aurora in those hours. I didn't follow the geophysics all that
well.
Bottom line, whenever you're under the night sky, look for
aurorae! The first direction is north, then sweep round to the other
compass points, and to overhead. You GOT to understand and know well
your local sky and its normal illuminations!

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