I was going to write a regular beauty blogpost for today, but early last evening I got an email from a group of amateur astronomers that I follow, Gloucester Area Astronomy Club (GAAC), that indicators showed that the aurora might be visible near where I live. Usually the aurora stays up north in Canada, Alaska, Iceland, and above, but sometimes it ducks down into the northern United States.
There are websites and apps that monitor astral activity (http://www.aurora-service.org/aurora-forecast/), and they were showing readings around 7 kp that indicate that the aurora might be visible in our area. The map I posted above was at 9:30pm last night, a little later than the predicted time of visibility: 7:45pm.
So instead of writing my beauty review, I jumped in the car and drove to Rockport MA where a number of members of the GAAC had seen the aurora in the past. I was specifically looking for Old Garden Beach. I tried getting there via directions from Google Maps, and I got close, but it was so darn dark that I couldn’t find the beach. Then I got lost in a warren of tiny one-way streets. I finally made it out, and headed to some other beaches that I knew how to get to.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see the aurora. One of the GAAC members said that sometimes you can see the green aurora via camera and in the photographs when you can’t see it with the naked eye. Perhaps that’s why I missed it. Another GAAC member reported that he saw purple in the sky but no aurora green. Boo hoo.
Here are two photos taken by GAAC member, Roger Porter, of the aurora in Rockport MA on two occasions in the past.
It’s such a beautiful sight. I hope one day I’ll see it myself!
Have you ever seen the aurora? Do tell.
wow amazing to see that in the local area. Gotta watch out for it in future
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Definitely check the app whose URL I listed or google it online to monitor the kp in your area. My mistake was not having a decent camera at the ready because the aurora might be nearby but not visible to the naked eye. Thanks Vanilla for commenting and good luck finding the aurora in your area!
Wow! That’s really cool, Allison!
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I’ve stayed up with high hopes before but also haven’t seen them yet… maybe one day!
I need to get a decent camera for when I try again since the folks at the GAAC said that you can’t always see it here in New England with the naked eye but you can via a photograph
I remember driving through Michigan with some friends when we were in college and we saw them and stopped in the middle of the road (thankfully it was a back road in a small town so no other cars) and jumped out and stared in amazement! We could barely see anything and it only lasted for a couple mins but it was AMAZING!
Oh how lucky, Jessalyn, that you got to see the aurora in Michigan! When I look at the aurora map, I notice that northern Michigan is more frequently in the aurora zone than is MA. Oh well, I hope I get to see them someday
We just got back from a trip to Iceland, and we checked the aurora forecast app regularly as we traveled around the country, but it was too overcast. However, I had thought to Google what side of the plane might be best to sit on for a chance at seeing the northern lights, and we had changed our seats for the overnight flight at the last minute. Thank goodness we did! As you said, we could make out the green much better in the photos than with the naked eye. That would be so awesome if the conditions work out for you to see them in Michigan sometime!
That’s wonderful, Tabitha, that you at least got to see the aurora from the plane! Thanks for confirming that it’s easier to see the aurora on the photos than with the naked eye. I live in Massachusetts, so our aurora opportunities are infrequent, but I’ll keep checking the aurora app and maybe I’ll luck out one of these days. Thanks so much for taking the time to tell me about your aurora adventure. I’d love to go to Iceland someday.
Wow such a cool post! Shame you didn’t get to see it this time. Fingers crossed for next time!
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I might need to take that trip to Iceland after all if I want to see the aurora! Someday!