Discussion
Currently trying to decide if it's worth driving to a dark sky site tonight (~1 hr drive, I know, I'm super lucky) even though some high clouds are moving in, or if I should wait until tomorrow night, when currently the forecast looks better (but it looked really good for tonight earlier today...the forecasts are not very accurate). There's also a better chance for auroras tomorrow (but those forecasts are even less accurate...)
Hmmmmm
I did go drive out to Bortle 2 skies with my family and it was INCREDIBLE (thanks for encouragement, fediverse).
The only light coming from stars, totally silent except for coyotes, owls, and I think maybe whooping cranes (!!) flying over. Barely any auroras, but the stars were stunning.
(There were a fuck-ton of satellites though, of course)
Is there really now no place on the planet to avoid satellite pollution? Not even at the polls as impractical as that is?
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social You even got Andromeda on the second image 👍
Going to be really really good auroras the next couple of nights!! https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/geomagnetic-storm-watches-11-13-november
@sundogplanets just updated this picture for Vancouver Island, and it looks like I'm going to miss it by that much
@sundogplanets Want to impress me, I'd like to see that extend all the way down to Florida! 😁
@sundogplanets
Overcast and raining here tonight... ☹️
@sundogplanets I was just about to warn you. Solar wind activity shot way up recently. I don't know if I'll see anything in Chicago, but I'm guessing you will!
I... honestly don't really know what most of these plots mean in terms of aurora viewing. But I can see lots of graphs are shooting upwards or downwards quite dramatically! I think that's probably good https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/auroral-activity/real-time-auroral-activity.html
Oh, I see so you’re one of those line go up people!
@sundogplanets Generally, the more red the plots get, the more stormy it is. I tend to pay the most attention to the Hemispheric Power plot. If that gets over 100 GW, then we're cooking (it's currently at 168 GW!)
HOLY SHIT THE SKY IS FUCKING INCREDIBLE AAAAHHHHHH WOWWWWWWW
I haven't yelled that many (overwhelmingly excited) swear words at the sky for a long time. WWOOOOOWWWWW. Reddest auroras I've ever seen!! Usually it takes a long time exposure/CCD camera to see red at all. This is BRIGHT!! You can actually see easily outside by aurora light!!!!
Warming up for a few minutes before heading back out
@sundogplanets Two of these plots stand out to me: 1) the density and 2) the magnetic field - negative/South is usually associated with Geomagnetic Sub-storms as it causes the Earth's magnetosphere to deform
@sundogplanets i think red means you can see it with the naked eye, yellow and green you'll need to use a camera view finder / long exposure image to see anything.
@sundogplanets <looks outside at shitty weather> <shakes fist>
@sundogplanets haha ham radio groups are taking it a little differently although it's also like "who knows! might get a wild international contact"
@sundogplanets Yeh, we'd have really needed that G4 down here in Belgium. With all the light pollution, and being further from the magnetic pole G3s just don't cut it 😡 Enjoy, and post some nice shots!
@sundogplanets whatever you decided, I hope it was joy-filled.
(I have my garden with it's excess of streetlights, skyglow to the SE and N from city and town, houses and trees and ... But I still love looking up, it still gives me joy 🙂)
@sundogplanets How is something like "20 magnitudes per square arcsecond" measured? Is it something that can be determined with a DSLR camera?
@crinstamcamp I am totally not an expert on sky brightness measurements, sorry!
@sundogplanets no worries, just thought I'd ask
@sundogplanets Are you aware of this site? You can pick your location from the green box on the left...
@satchmo35 Yep! Been using this for years and years (including at research facilities). It's great!
@sundogplanets Why not both. I mean, life is short. One can't ever have enough of auroras and starry nights.
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