|
|
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605 |
Aurorae are indeed beautiful, aren't they, Connie? We almost never get them this far south, but the one time we did ... oh! what a night! The southern- and northern-hemisphere versions are, I believe, respectively called the aurora australis and the aurora borealis. Connie's gallery-link is spectacular, and several incredible aurora pictures can be found on that lovely site Helen provided about a week and a half ago: aurora over New Zealand: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010406.htmlvolcano and aurora in Iceland: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020121.htmlthe Black Aurora: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020101.htmlred aurora: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020115.html (personal favorite) aurora over clouds: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010402.htmlOr choose your own from http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?aurora. As you can see, I'm excited about that site. Thank you, Helen!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Although I didn't live quite as far up south as Rakiura, we got to see the southern aurora reasonably often, obviously normally during unusually strong sunspot activity. Although it always appeared a bit freaky, I can't remember seeing any that were mindblowing from the beauty point of view. It was usually just a kind of translucent curtain in one or maybe two colours. Like most natural phenomena, it did manage to make me feel very small and insignificant.
The worst instance of that, however, occurred once when I was riding my motorbike along a coastal road on the West Coast of the South Island. The front wheel of the bike sort of shimmeyed, and I assumed I'd ridden over a patch of oil. But then I happened to glance at the hills to my left, and they were rising and falling going south like a Mexican wave. It wasn't exaggerated or anything, but it was quite plain. An earthquake had just rolled underneath me! [gibbering wreck on two wheels -e]
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636 |
The town where I am from in Northern Lower Michigan is far enough North to see the A.B. I have had that pleasure more than a few times. It is an awesome sight, and yes, I have heard them as well. I have primarily seen the pale green and/or the white varieties, but once, be still my heart, I saw red ones. The best memory, though, was at [can you guess?] Stone Circle. I lay on my back not far from the fire, watching the Northern Lights and listening to a hammered dulcimer being played right next to me. [pure joy-e]
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Augh! The one thing I would regret dying without experiencing is this phenomenon. I wanna move North! (Or maybe, WAY-AY south...Hi Max and CK!  )
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636 |
Come camping with me after Wapaloo, then. I can't guarantee anything, but there is always a better chance when you get away from the lights of civilization. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 679
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 679 |
Or visit the Hebrides in Scotland or the North of Norway. Worth going to to even if you don't see the Aurorae. Travel in August so that you get the double benefit of seeing the Leonids aswell!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
Or visit the Hebrides in Scotland or the North of Norway. Worth going to to even if you don't see the Aurorae.Probably true, but you don't have to go that far. We saw them in Winnipeg (an hour's drive from the US border) "all the time". (No good in St. John's - it's ALWAYS cloudy.) So the northern US should do it. Though Scotland and Norway sound more exotic! 
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,328
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
703
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
