Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Go out. Look up.

There was an X-class solar flare on Valentine's Day, flinging a coronal mass ejection right at us, like a bullet out of a gun. Except faster. And much more powerful. It doesn't mean the end of the world, or even a zombie apocalypse, but it does mean some seriously cool auroras for the next several days. Don't know if it'll make it as far south as I live, but if you live in Minnesota or Canada, you might want to keep an eye on the sky for the next few nights. Could be the chance of a lifetime.

Here's what it looked like in Norway last night. Thanks to Space Weather for the pic and the info.

And thanks to John at One speed: Go for letting me bastardize his slogan.

4 comments:

Emma J said...

It is one of my life ambitions to see the aurora borealis. My sisters and mother did one summer night in Wisconsin, after I had already gone back to college.

I hope you get to see it. I hope I get to see it.

Gwil W said...

My goodness, I've just now been watching them on 'arte-TV' - a docu about Norway - and here they are!

Shayna said...

What a treat it would be to see this sight!

Clowncar said...

Didn't see it, Emma J, though I'll look one last time tonight. Did you?

Gwil, my secret is out. I live inside your brain, and whatever your id spits out I post immediately.

Yes, it would Shay. I've seen it two times now, but with no color, and little movement. A truly dramatic display continues to evade me.