Astroblog: Aurora Visible NOW! and G1 storm alert (7 November)

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Aurora Visible NOW! and G1 storm alert (7 November)

Aurora have been reported from multiple sites in Tasmania with beams, and unconfirmed reports of aurora in Bendigo and ACT. There is a current G1 storm alert. This is despite the conditions for aurora being marginal, Velocity: 426 km/sec Bz: -4.0 nT Density = 24.0 p/cc but with dark skies it will be well worth having a look. The SWS predicts active conditions will continue for the next day or so. The Space Weather Prediction Service has Predicted a G1 storm around now and the current Kindex is 5 (hence the G1 storm alert).

If the Bz becomes more negative aurora may become more widespread and intense. The Moon is waning, and will not significantly interfere with aurora in the early part of the evening. Especially now be patient, as the activity may rise and fall of the magnetic polarity of the wind may fluctuate significantly.

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, as well as bright proton arcs and "picket fences". A double arc, blobs, and curtains were seen in last weeks aurora despite the moonlight.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

A new aurora camera is being installed at Campania, Tasmania. A live feed of the images from this camera is sill not available.

SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE ALERT
ISSUED AT 1040 UT ON 07 NOV 2017 BY SPACE WEATHER SERVICES
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE

MINOR (G1 - MINOR) GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE IN PROGRESS (K OF 5 REACHED)
PRELIMINARY AUSTRALIAN REGION K INDICES FOR 07 11 17: 1335 ----

FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF THIS EVENT ON THE SWS SPACE WEATHER STATUS PANEL,
HTTP://WWW.SWS.BOM.GOV.AU > SPACE WEATHER

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUBJ: SWS AURORA WATCH
ISSUED AT 0256 UT ON 06 Nov 2017 by Space Weather Services
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE

Effects of a recurrent coronal hole are expected to impact the Earth
within the next 48 hours, possibly resulting in significant
geomagnetic activity and visible auroras during local nighttime hours.
Aurora alerts will follow if significant geomagnetic activity actually
occurs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 17/54
ISSUED AT 0242UT/06 NOVEMBER 2017
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.

A recurrent northern hemisphere coronal hole will soon reach
the geoeffective location on the solar disk. A corotating interaction
region associated with the coronal hole is expected to effect
Earth from late UT day 6 November. On the subsequent two days
(7-8 November) Active to Minor Storm conditions may occur provided
IMF Bz will turn southward for a prolonged period.

INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL HOLE HIGH SPEED WIND STREAM
FROM 07-08 NOVEMBER 2017
_____________________________________________________________

GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
07 Nov: Active
08 Nov: Active

Our Aurora forecasting tool, located at
http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Aurora/3/1, may help to estimate regions
from where aurora would be visible.

Labels: aurora