An aurora forecast is generally expressed using a number called a Kp index. The higher the index, the higher the geomagnetic activity is predicted to be. The geomagnetic activity creates the aurora, so, the higher the geomagnetic activity, the better the aurora is predicted to be!
How do they predict aurora?
The KP index is the most common way to forecast the Northern Lights, and you can use it both for short-term and long-term Aurora prediction. This Aurora forecast indicator (known as “planetary K-index”), is simply a scale to measure the geomagnetic activity that is directly related to Northern Lights visibility.
How do you spot an Aurora?
Head north. The best way to see the northern lights is to head north. Most of the molecular activity that causes the northern lights happens near the Earth’s magnetic poles. For that reason, the Arctic region is an ideal location for hunting the aurora.
What would happen if you touched an Aurora?
The aurora is emitted between 90 and 150 km in altitude (i.e. mostly above the ‘official’ boundary of space, 100 km), so ungloving your hand inside an aurora would likely be fatal (unless a fellow astronaut immediately reattaches your glove and repressurizes your suit).
What are the chances of seeing aurora?
Monitoring over many years the average chance of seeing the Northern Lights over a 4 night trip to Abisko is around 83%. Other places that stand out are the frozen Lulea Archipelago where the large expanse of frozen seas results in a much more stable cloud pattern.
Is 2022 a good year for Northern Lights?
“There will continue to be aurora viewing opportunities in 2022,” Steenburgh said. “The solar cycle is indeed ramping up and as solar activity increases, so do the chances for Earth-directed blobs of plasma, the coronal mass ejections, which drive the geomagnetic storms and aurora.”
How far in advance can Northern Lights be predicted?
As a naturally occurring phenomenon, the appearance of the Northern Lights is notoriously difficult to predict any further in advance than about two hours before it happens.
Can I see Northern Lights with naked eyes?
Auroras appear to the naked eye as a very faint, white glow in the night sky to the magnetic north. Many auroras are totally invisible to the naked eye or can only be seen by looking at them indirectly, i.e. out of the corner of your eye. It is extremely rare to see them in colour with the naked eye.
Are auroras common?
Yes, although they are more frequent at higher latitudes and places like Alaska, Canada, and Antarctica, closer to the Earth’s poles. Occasionally, they have been seen closer to the equator, and even as far south as Mexico.
Where are auroras most commonly seen on earth?
Auroras are only visible at night, and usually only appear in lower polar regions. Auroras are visible almost every night near the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, which are about 66.5 degrees north and south of the Equator.
Do Northern Lights have a sound?
What is clear is that the aurora does, on rare occasions, make sounds audible to the human ear. The eerie reports of crackling, whizzing and buzzing noises accompanying the lights describe an objective audible experience – not something illusory or imagined.
Can planes fly in the aurora?
“We can actually fly into the auroras,” said NASA astronaut Don Pettit, a flight engineer for the orbiting lab’s current Expedition 30. “It’s like being shrunk down and put inside of a neon sign.”
Can airplanes fly through the Northern Lights?
A United Airlines passenger has filmed the breathtaking moment her flight passed through the Northern Lights over Newfoundland. Emily Snyder, who was flying to London, had never expected what she’d witnessed as the world below lit up green, and the sky was clear enough for an amazing photo.
What months are Northern Lights?
The winter season in the Arctic lasts from late September to late March/ early April. During this time, the Arctic sky is dark enough for the Northern Lights to be visible in the right conditions. The aurora is at its most active around the equinoxes in March and September.
How long do Northern Lights last?
How long do the northern lights last? Anywhere from 10 minutes to all night long, depending on the magnitude of the incoming solar wind. “Coronal holes” consistently produce nice auroras but big solar flares and CMEs-coronal mass ejections are responsible for global-wide aurora displays…the BIG shows!
What time of year are you most likely to see the Northern Lights?
When is the best time of year to see the northern lights? The aurora borealis are potentially visible under dark skies from late August to mid-April preferably under a clear, cloudless sky.
Do the Northern Lights happen every night?
Auroras happen in every month but because they’re impossible to see against the super-light late night summer skies far up north, our trips to see them tend to take place when the night skies are properly dark.
Where is the best place in the world to see the Northern Lights?
1. Tromso, Norway. Based in the heart of the aurora zone in the Norwegian Arctic, the city is widely regarded as one of the world’s best places to see the Northern Lights.
How often do the Northern Lights happen?
The Northern Lights are unpredictable.
In order to see the Northern Lights, you need a dark, clear night. They are visible from late August to early April anytime during dark hours, which in places like Abisko or Tromsø can be nearly 24 hours a day in winter.
Can you capture Northern Lights with phone?
It is possible to take a good Northern Lights photo with your Android or iPhone, using nothing more than the camera setting on your smartphone.
What is the best app for Northern Lights?
My Aurora Forecast
My Aurora Forecast is the best app for seeing the Northern Lights.