Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Aurora Alert-Aurora watch tonight (7-8 October)
UPDATE: the IPS has just issued an aurora alert for high latitudes, geomagnetic storm in progress (see below)
The Australian IPS has issued a geomagnetic alert for minor geomagnetic storms and the NOAA site has a predicted G1 storm from a fast moving solar wind stream from a coronal hole. Although the IPS prediction is for the 8th, the solar wind stream as arrived early. Currently the magnetic field is -8 nT, Velocity: 461 km/sec. K index is currently 4 in Launceston, down from 5 earlier in the afternoon. These conditions are promising, and if they hold until night fall then Tasmania and Southern Victoria may see aurora.
Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.
As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora and a large green "blob" has been seen.
The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy may be helpful.
http://www.ips.gov.au/Geophysical/4/2
SUBJ: IPS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 15/45
ISSUED AT 2301UT/05 OCTOBER 2015
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.
Expect a Minor Geomagnetic Storm due to recurrent coronal hole.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL HOLE HIGH SPEED WIND STREAM
FOR 08 OCTOBER 2015
_____________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
08 Oct: Minor Storm Levels
Further monitoring at
http://www.ips.gov.au
SUBJ: IPS AURORA ALERT HIGH LATITUDES
ISSUED AT 0820 UT ON 07 Oct 2015 BY IPS RADIO AND SPACE SERVICES
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE
GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS. AURORA MAY BE OBSERVED
DURING LOCAL NIGHT TIME HOURS IN GOOD OBSERVING CONDITIONS
AT HIGH LATITUDES.
Follow the progress of this event on the IPS web site
by following the links to the Space Weather Status Panel,
Home > Space Weather
IPS would appreciate any feedback from people observing an
aurora giving details of location and time. Please provide
details at: http://www.ips.gov.au/Geophysical/2/5
Previous reports of observed aurora are archived under
Labels: aurora
# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 6:50 pm 
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