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Spectacular Northern Lights Show Could Continue This Weekend (Photos, Video)
space.com ^ | June 25, 2015 12:58pm ET | Calla Cofield

Posted on 06/25/2015 4:56:22 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Throughout Canada and as far south as Philadelphia, the northern lights have been wowing skywatchers this week, and the colorful displays could continue, following another solar explosion spotted by NASA.

A large sun storm last weekend known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) sent high-energy particles streaming toward Earth, where their interaction with the atmosphere and the magnetic field supercharged the gorgeous color displays known in the northern hemisphere as the aurora borealis. The dazzling celestial show may go on, thanks to another CME detected by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) today (June 25).

Today's explosion came from a freckle on the sun's surface known as sunspot AR12371, which also erupted on Tuesday (June 23). The particles blasted into space by Earth-directed CMEs usually reach our planet after one to five days, so auroras amped up by the latest solar storm could appear this weekend — if Earth was indeed in the crosshairs.

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy
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1 posted on 06/25/2015 4:56:22 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

I am out in NW PA and went out the past 2 nights that were both clear, and I didn’t see anything... but then again I have a mountain and trees north of my farm.


2 posted on 06/25/2015 5:31:42 PM PDT by Rodamala
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To: BenLurkin

I once watched Aurora Australis from the Pole.

I divided into 2 categories: “sheets” and “glows”

Ours didn’t have the cool music, though.


3 posted on 06/25/2015 5:32:27 PM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
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To: BenLurkin

I’m curious what the best time of night is to watch for them.


4 posted on 06/25/2015 8:00:35 PM PDT by aimhigh
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To: Rodamala
These were over CO on Tuesday night. I saw the one about 10 years ago here - turned the sky green.

Aurora borealis reported in Colorado with strongest northern lights in a decade

5 posted on 06/25/2015 8:08:10 PM PDT by ican'tbelieveit
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To: ican'tbelieveit

I saw them in NJ once like 15-20 years ago, not 10, I think. Green.


6 posted on 06/25/2015 8:19:08 PM PDT by Rodamala
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