Topic: NASA predicts Northern Lights spectacular

Ever fancied a cruise to the see the Northern Lights?

This winter might be the right time to go

According to NASA, this winter will provide the most awe-inspiring display of the aurora borealis for 50 years.



Definition (Courtesy of Wikipedia!): An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae) is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere (thermosphere). The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and are directed by the Earth's magnetic field into the atmosphere.

The northern lights have had a number of names throughout history. The Cree call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits". In Europe, in the Middle Ages, the auroras were commonly believed a sign from God.

Have you seen the northern lights? If not, is it on your 'to do' list?

I would love to see the northern lights, it's top of my "to do" list. That photo is amazing!

It is one of sights I want to see before I shuffle off this mortal coil. Trouble is I like a bit of luxury when on holiday and Hurtigruten don't come up to cunard standard. I do feel though that I have seen the Northern Lights when I was a young girl growing up in the north of england. Dancing lights on the horizon that I couldn't understand. I have been looking ever since but have never seen anything. Perhaps it was a dream. It's so uncertain though; you could book a week and never see anything. A bit like the whale watching trip we went on in canada and not a whale in sight. However if this winter is going to be special I might have to arrange something. Living in Scotland I must have a chance of seeing something!

As a birthday surprise for my husband I booked a night flight which went up past Scotland and ended up flying on the same latitude as Norway. The pilot flew in a repeat pattern and we did see something, but nothing as dramatic as this photo. However, the stars we saw were fantastic, you don't realise on earth because of light pollution etc. but to see so many was breathtaking. We would hopefully love to see the lights at closer quarters in the future.

Definitely something we intend to do. Most trips seem to stay in Tromso, but I reckon Alta would be abetter bet as there's less light pollution. Judith

Wow - fab photo one I hope to see for real during my lifetime.

I went on a Hurtigruten 'cruise' for 4 or 5 days in December a few years ago, called 'In search of the Northern Lights'. It started in Tromso and when we got there people asked us what we were there for and when we told them they laughed saying they hadn't seen them for years! Well we sailed all down the coast calling in at several ports but couldn't see anything apart from shipping lights as it was dark all day except for about half an hour in the morning. It was far too cold to go out and the only entertainment was TV all in Norwegian so I spent all day sitting up in front reading; I got through 3 or 4 books and reckoned it was a waste of time and money!

QUOTE:

I went on a Hurtigruten 'cruise' for 4 or 5 days in December a few years ago, called 'In search of the Northern Lights'. It started in Tromso and when we got there people asked us what we were there for and when we told them they laughed saying they hadn't seen them for years! Well we sailed all down the coast calling in at several ports but couldn't see anything apart from shipping lights as it was dark all day except for about half an hour in the morning. It was far too cold to go out and the only entertainment was TV all in Norwegian so I spent all day sitting up in front reading; I got through 3 or 4 books and reckoned it was a waste of time and money!

Oh what a shame, will you try again ? I would, the Lights are so fabulous, surely worth another try? Years ago I was on my back in the garden hoping to see the Perseids (sp) meteor showers, as soon as I went indoors, yes, you know what I'm going to say, my son told me I missed some !

You may well have seen the Northern Lights some years ago. I remember my Dad taking me outside late one night to show me them, in about 1964 I think. We are in Essex so probably don't stand much chance of seeing them again. But we have been seeing some really wonderful sunsets this year so maybe things will happen this far south too!

QUOTE:

In my time researching and selling expedition voyages both North and South of our Earth, I believe the 12 year cycle for the best possible chance to see the Northern Lights is 2011/12. You may need to think about going between now and 3 years otherwise the "once-in-a-life-time" show may not be at its best and it would be many more years until the peak of her cycle again.

Just a factual correction:- The solar cycle is in fact 11 years long and cycle 24 (the present cycle) began on Jan 4th 2008 and is predicted to reach its maximum in May 2013. The best time in any particular season is around the equinoxes so the predicted best displays should be in march 2013. The reason the equinoxes are best for auroral displays is because these are the times of maximum overlap of the earth's and sun's magnetospheres.

So looking at the graphs any time between the autumnal (Sept) and vernal (march) equinoxes from now until march 2014 should have good chances of sightings , particularly during the new moon phase (weather permitting)



References:-
On January 4, 2008, a reversed-polarity sunspot appeared—and this signals the start of Solar Cycle 24," says David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.



Above: Images of the first sunspot of Solar Cycle 24 taken by the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). [Larger image] [Movie]

Solar activity waxes and wanes in 11-year cycles. Lately, we've been experiencing the low ebb, "very few flares, sunspots, or activity of any kind," says Hathaway. "Solar minimum is upon us."







Pete