Aurora Borealis

[moonbuggy]

Can aurora borealis appear in non-northern skies? I recall experiencing aurorae in a western sky, with nothing to the north. Or maybe I was seeing something else? Having been my first and only (to date) experience of that kind I am pretty sure that it was aurorae. However, the facts that I only saw it in the west and at a low latitude 43°N have made me question what I saw.

Peter

[Kullat Nunu]

Can aurora borealis appear in non-northern skies? I recall experiencing aurorae in a western sky, with nothing to the north. Or maybe I was seeing something else? Having been my first and only (to date) experience of that kind I am pretty sure that it was aurorae. However, the facts that I only saw it in the west and at a low latitude 43°N have made me question what I saw.

Due to the structure of the Earth's magnetosphere, aurorae are usually visible near poles in a region called auroral oval. That's why aurorae are so common in polar regions.
As far as I know, during solar storms the Earth's magnetosphere compresses, oval expands and aurorae can be seen also much nearer the equator.
It is not terribly unlikely to see aurorae at a latitude 43°N.

And, naturally, you can't see aurora borealis in the southern hemisphere, because there are none. Southern aurorae are aurora australis.

[milli360]

It is not terribly unlikely to see aurorae at a latitude 43°N.

They've even been seen at latitudes much lower than that, in the past few months.

[Meteora]

When I lived in northern Michigan (45 deg. North), I once saw a red stripe from the western horizon to just north of overhead - just after sunset. (As a meteorologist, I swear it wasn't a cloud!) A couple hours later, we were treated to a spectacular aurora display. It covered the entire sky with all different colors and patterns. I believe that was November 8, 1991, but I'm not sure.

[Parrothead]

Can they appear in directions other than north, I would assume so. On Nov. 6/2001 (maybe it was the 7th) we had a good display. Here in Toronto, most of the activity was in the western sky with some high up in the southern sky. I got a couple of good pictures that night.

[Kullat Nunu]

Can they appear in directions other than north, I would assume so. On Nov. 6/2001 (maybe it was the 7th) we had a good display. Here in Toronto, most of the activity was in the western sky with some high up in the southern sky. I got a couple of good pictures that night.

Sure, they just usally are visible in north. Here where I live (62.5°N), it is the southern sky which is active during major auroral displays.
Aurorae in dark winter skies are pretty mundane here. They can even be nuisance during deep sky observations.

[Wally]

Can they appear in directions other than north, I would assume so. On Nov. 6/2001 (maybe it was the 7th) we had a good display. Here in Toronto, most of the activity was in the western sky with some high up in the southern sky. I got a couple of good pictures that night.

Sure, they just usally are visible in north. Here where I live (62.5°N), it is the southern sky which is active during major auroral displays.
Aurorae in dark winter skies are pretty mundane here. They can even be nuisance during deep sky observations.

You poor thing. . . I feel for you.

The last display I saw (I'm also at 43 degrees lat.) started in the northeast as a bright, red strip. Over the next half hour or so, it expanded to the north and west. Then clouds moved in. . . #-o

[StarStuff]

When I lived in northern Michigan (45 deg. North), I once saw a red stripe from the western horizon to just north of overhead - just after sunset. (As a meteorologist, I swear it wasn't a cloud!) A couple hours later, we were treated to a spectacular aurora display. It covered the entire sky with all different colors and patterns. I believe that was November 8, 1991, but I'm not sure.

Yes, I remember that one too - sure was a beauty, and as Meteora stated, it covered the entire sky, not just in the north.

Parrothead, I missed that Nov. 2001 one. I don't know how it was that I happened to miss it, but I heard all about it the next day, and was kicking myself for not having caught it. #-o

moonbuggy, it sounds like what you saw would definitely have been the aurora borealis.

[tlbs101]

In the mid 1990's, while driving on highway I-40 in Northern Arizona (~37 deg N Latitude), my wife and I were treated to a very nice auroral display of green and whitish curtains, above us. I had to stop the car along the side of the road for a few moments to watch.

What amazed me more than anything was, I knew this was a rare event at such a low latitude. I had lived at 48 deg N for most of my childhood and never had seen an single aurora, in Spokane, WA.

[frogesque]

Technically, the aurora borealis by defininition can only be seen in nothern skys. South of the equator it is called the aurora australis.

OK, got that minor point out of the way. During a severe geomagnetic storm it should be possible to see an aurora at very low latitudes (<20 deg N or S of the equator) but they are rare. The lights are usally visible to the north (or south) of the observer for mid latitudes during a decent 'storm' but last October there was quite a good display in Scotland (57deg N) and most of Europe (and N. America). It was quite surreal to view Mars (then still fairly bright to the south at midnight) bathed in an erie red glow that covered virtually the whole sky with twisting pulsating bands of colour varying from white, yellowish, milk in water blue to the north and the red already mentioned.

The site here will give up to the minute status of the auroal oval and there is a message forum with reports and pics though it is run from Alaska so it's a bit quite up there during summer months. Australia, New Zealand and Japan should be better placed at the moment.

Finally, there is a site that gives data from Lancaster University SAMNET's magnetometer but the best way to spot an aurora is to find a quiet place with really dark sky and just watch for strange glows and lights. Predictions don't always get it right!

[Brady Yoon]

This has got me wondering... Have aurora ever been seen on the equator? Also, what are the chances that I will see it. I live in Anaheim, near LA, 34 degrees N.

[gethen]

When I lived in northern Michigan (45 deg. North), I once saw a red stripe from the western horizon to just north of overhead - just after sunset. (As a meteorologist, I swear it wasn't a cloud!) A couple hours later, we were treated to a spectacular aurora display. It covered the entire sky with all different colors and patterns. I believe that was November 8, 1991, but I'm not sure.

'92 maybe? I remember those aurorae as well, and only think it might have been 92 because it was the night before my son, then a highschool sophomore ( I think), was going to play in a big highschool playoff game. We hoped the aurorae were good omens. They weren't, but they were still beautiful.

[StarStuff]

When I lived in northern Michigan (45 deg. North), I once saw a red stripe from the western horizon to just north of overhead - just after sunset. (As a meteorologist, I swear it wasn't a cloud!) A couple hours later, we were treated to a spectacular aurora display. It covered the entire sky with all different colors and patterns. I believe that was November 8, 1991, but I'm not sure.

'92 maybe? I remember those aurorae as well, and only think it might have been 92 because it was the night before my son, then a highschool sophomore ( I think), was going to play in a big highschool playoff game. We hoped the aurorae were good omens. They weren't, but they were still beautiful.

I'm not sure about 1992, but I know there definitely was a gorgeous display on November 8, 1991 - it was the first time I'd ever seen the aurora borealis (despite hoping for such an opportunity for many years), and I distinctly remember being out for a walk with my first dog (born in Feb. '91) that night, and that she was still a puppy at the time.

[Charlie in Dayton]

I've seen 'em red, green, blue, and white, blazing away in Upper Michigan/Wisconsin/Minnesota at 45N or so...

In times of solar storm, they've been seen plainly down here (40N and less), and photographed numerous times.

[moonbuggy]

Thanks for all the great replies guys. I am now most certain that it was aurora that I saw.

Regards,
Peter

[AK]

I live at 46.733N and watch the sky, and I have never seen them.

[Kullat Nunu]

I live at 46.733N and watch the sky, and I have never seen them.

I would gladly trade them off for dark summer nights. From May till July virtually no stars are visible here because the sky is too bright in night . -- Not to mention summer constellations like Scorpius and Sagittarius, which are almost totally hidden from view.