Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights

[crizack]

Seen them many times when flying but also seen them from the ground in Lanc's as a kid. You don't need to go a long way north to see them. North of Scotland is good enough when it's active. Of course you need to be able to go at the right time.
click here for Forecast

i suppose when the forecast is on number 9, then that would be the best time to head up scotland?

 

[Goater's Shin]

Bloody went up Norway in the summer didn't I, and every nob and his deer was telling me how mint it was in the winter and showing pictures. Story of my life. Think I owe myself a winter trip.

 

[rickmcfc]

Seen them many times when flying but also seen them from the ground in Lanc's as a kid. You don't need to go a long way north to see them. North of Scotland is good enough when it's active. Of course you need to be able to go at the right time.
click here for Forecast

i suppose when the forecast is on number 9, then that would be the best time to head up scotland?

when the forecast is either 6,7,8,or 9 on the Kp forecast (i think thats wahta they call it) we will be able to see it here. on those maps, the green line that is the furthest south is where you could see it on the horizon. the more of the green glow thats in our area then overhead. ive tracked the predictions all the way back to end of july and it hasnt been higher than Kp3 so the chances of it getting to 6,7,8,or 9 are very slim i think. i have saved that page to my favourites and will check it on a regular basis as and post on here when the right level is within our area. We gould set up the "Bluemoon Northern Lights Hunters", but i have a feeling this could turn into one huge piss up on a moor in northern england! lets do it then!!!

 

[The Blue]

is it the radiation from the sun that reflects off the earths magnetic field that creates the northern lights?

 

[Anonymous]

is it the radiation from the sun that reflects off the earths magnetic field that creates the northern lights?

Pretty much so 'Blue'!

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The liquid iron core present at the interior of our earth has created a magnetic field around it.Till then which has been subjected to massive bombardment with high energy solar radiation & other form of harmful cosmic rays. All these high energy charged particles are get trapped in van allen radiation belts & in addition get reflected by the earth's magnetic field towards the pole where these particles interact with the earth's atmospheric components in form of a visible energy called the northen lights.

 

[Wheelsy]

One of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring sights... would love to see it in the flesh.

 

[Biginoil]

is it the radiation from the sun that reflects off the earths magnetic field that creates the northern lights?

Charged particles from the sun are attracted towards the earth's magnetic poles (positive particles one way, negative the other). As they converge at the poles, they collide and give off energy as light. At times when there's a lot of solar activity, there's a lot of charged particles coming our way and this is when the aurora is seen.

I've seen it twice, once from the cockpit of an aircraft and once from the ground in N Scotland. It could easily have been mistaken for moonlight against clouds on both occasions. You could only see the colours once your eyes were used to the dark. I bet a lot of people have seen it and not realised it.

Well worth seeking out though.

 

[rickmcfc]

dont worry im onto a date when to see it, i will post on here wen visible

 

[Pigeonho]

Can you see them from Iceland? My ex fiance is being taken to Reykjavic next month for her birthday by her new fiance. She thinks she is going to see them and I want her to be really, really disappointed!

 

[rickmcfc]

Can you see them from Iceland? My ex fiance is being taken to Reykjavic next month for her birthday by her new fiance. She thinks she is going to see them and I want her to be really, really disappointed!

you low bastard!!! she will almost certainly see them from iceland, even when the scale is at its lowest kp 1 (scale goes from 1-9) iceland is covered by its range, we will be able to see it from kp6 at a push, im sure wer will have a chance to see it over the winter