Astroblog: Aurora Alert 18-20 May, 2013

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Aurora Alert 18-20 May, 2013

There is a minor geomagnetic storm on NOW (yes, it's still daytime) from a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection. If the activity lasts until nightfall, then Tasmania and Southern New Zealand may see aurora. However, the light of the waxing Moon will make seeing aurora difficult, and you will need to be in a dark sky site to have a chance of seeing aurora. Look to the south, looking for unusual colours or breams of light.

A second coronal mass ejection will impact us sometime after midday on Sunday May 19, quoting the Australian IPS space weather:

SUBJ: IPS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 13/07

ISSUED AT 0300UT/18 MAY 2013
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.

A full halo earthward directed CME was observed on 17-May. This may increase geomagnetic activity to Minor Storm levels, with periods at Major storm level from mid 19-May and into early 20-May. The magnitude of the storm will depend on the orientation of the magnetic field in the CME.

INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION FROM 19-20 MAY 2013 ___________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
19 May: Minor Storm
20 May: Active to Minor Storm

Aurora could potentially be seen as far north as southern Victoria and Northern New Zealand.

Again, aurora could occur at anytime during these storm periods, Moonlight will interfere until Moonset in the early hours of the 20th. Dark sky sites are best, and you should be looking south for unusual colours or beams of light.

Labels: aurora