Ian Musgrave & Peta O'Donohue
<reynella@mira.net> to ian.musgrave
More options 19:19 (35 minutes ago)
G'Day All
Remember yesterday I wrote that sunspot 930 had quietened down? Well
today it made a liar of me and blasted out an X 3.4 flare aimed
almost directly at us. We don't know yet if there was a coronal mass
ejection, but given past events, it is highly likely that one is
headed our way. So be prepared for aurora on the night of Thursday
the 14th and morning of Friday the 15th. These are also the times
that the Geminid meteor shower is on, so an aurora watch and meteor
watch could be combined.
The areas most likely to see aurora are Tasmania, Southern New
Zealand and Southern Victoria. Unfortunately, Southern Victoria and
Tasmania are also battling savage bushfires, so folks there will
likely be a bit preoccupied with other matters. Lets include them in
our thoughts and wish them respite.
The best place to look for aurora is due south, after midnight. With
the Moon rising around 3 am, there is a lot of darkness to pick up
aurora, dark sky sites will be best placed to see aurora. Tasmanians
and New Zealanders might expect to see sheets and curtains of
glimmering light, Victorians are likely to see shifting orange/red
glows. Of course, due to the complex nature of the interactions
between coronal mass ejections and Earths magnetic field, aurora
cannot be guaranteed, we have had cases where strong flares have
produced hardly a ripple (and conversely, cases where little burps
have caused magnificent displays). But, with the Geminids on, its
won't be a waste of time having a look.
Also, in the new year comet 2006 P1 may become an unaided eye object,
so keep tuned.
Cheers! Ian
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