I think I saw the Aurora Borealis tonight...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

We were driving along Rt 40 in SW Pennsylvania and into MD, when I noticed this bizarre red transparent "cloud" at about 7:30. Mr... GoddessOfGuinness tried his best to convince me that it was late sunset activity (in the northern sky) or city lights reflecting off clouds. But this wasn't that orangey or white glow of a city; it was red like an apple, and nowhere near any town that would glow.

I continued to notice them periodically while on I-68, in Garrett and Allegheny Counties, sometimes appearing like long tendrils of greenish-white light behind the mountains...always in the North. Unfortunately, there was no spot to safely pull over and view them, as all the rest areas are intensely lit.

I've seen the lights before in Maine, years ago, and the display was quite different. The lights rippled across the entire sky when I was there, but it seems like the lower latitude would account for the difference.

Is anybody here well-versed on this phenomenon?

Did anybody else in the lower 48 view the Aurora tonight?

[Kire]

1. I think I saw it too, in New Jersey!

go figure

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Wow!

Are you in the city?

[yardwork]

2. There are lots of threads about this. Someone in Iowa saw AB

[madrchsod]

3. yes this was posted earlier tonight

prob. on page three or four by now. pretty much across the northern states west of the rockies

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Yes, there was a thread a bit earlier.

They are very visible in Minneapolis, right overhead. There were other reports from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, S. Dakota and Colorado.

[CO Liberal]

5. Here's a Link to the Earlier Thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1959044

We saw them in Pueblo, Colorado - 100 miles south of Denver.

[demodonkey]

6. It was RED up here near Pittsburgh PA so you DID see it too I'm sure

n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Thanks!

I'm so psyched I don't think I can sleep now!

I'll check out the other threads! :D

[EstimatedProphet]

8. I've actually seen them as far south as Mississippi once

Kind of a red smudge on the horizon. Still it was cool, but nothing like in the north.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. That's pretty amazing!

I've never heard of them being seen that far south!

[Spoon]

9. Activity has been reported as far south as Virginia.

BTW, I have family in Deep Creek, Garrett County. I've made the trip south on Rt51, up and over the Summit south of Uniontown, and down Rt40 many times. It's like entering a whole new world.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. It's a beautiful area, but I'm sad to report....

just SE of Uniontown, in the Ft Necessity area, we noticed this huge garish yuppie spa on top of one of the hills. A mile or so farther down the road were vacation homes that were apparently associated with the same corporation as the spa; and a little ways further was a polo field, of all things.

That 5 mile or so stretch of road smacked to me of some large rethug corporation buying a town out and turning it into a plastic model.

I hope it isn't contagious!

[Spoon]

15. The Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is to blame.

They have been expanding like crazy. It used to be owned by Cordelia Mellon Scaife (same family who owns the right-leaning Tribune Review), but is now owned by Joseph A. Hardy, founder of 84 Lumber Company. I don't know anything about him.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

17. That was the name of it...

We thought "Nemacolin" sounded like some disease. We also noticed a "Nemacolin Castle" in another small town near Uniontown. UGH!

[Dogmudgeon]

13. It could have been a Noctilucent cloud, too

They're high-atmosphere (ionosphere) clouds that glow.

Or, it could have been an aurora. There were more than 8 solar flares this week, and at least 3 were in our direction.

--bkl

[Scout Finch]

14. I see them too!

They're bright as ever here in Michigan.

You can't beat nature for beauty.

[koopie57]

16. We were driving home from Iowa

to Minnesota. Three hours of watching them, was so amazing.

[Jack Schitt]

18. You did...here's why:

The sun shot off a very large coronal mass ejection (CME) yesterday, so today we get to see the northern lights. We'll see them tomorrow night too because the sun shot off another CME today.

Here's a map of the distribution of the Aurora Borealis. Hightest intensity is in red:



They were dancing here in Minnesota all the way up to the zenith (90 degrees from the horizon) of the sky. Great viewing!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Wonderful!

I hope I can get far enough away from the city lights to see them right here in the DC area!

[Lilli]

21. Your post says 1:14 am

...assume you mean visible again Monday night?

[Lilli]

20. I'm so jealous!

Seeing them is on my to-do list! :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. Where are you located?

This is unusually far south for a display. Check out the distribution map in Baraka's post...Maybe you'll be able to see them tonight!

[Lilli]

23. East Tennessee - Smokys

Looks like i'm out of range...

[T Bone]

24. Are you certain it wasn't Uranus ??

heh

[gollygee]

25. My sister sent me an email saying she'd seen it too

in southern Michigan