luckyluke 2 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Would love to go and see the Northern Lights. I bet it's fucking nippy though. How wonderfully British. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JawD 99 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Id love to go. Looked into it a few years back. Doing a scandinavian cruise etc. Decided it was too expensive and went to Mexico instead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4725 Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 WHY THE DIFFERENT COLOURS? These correspond to altitude and to layers of gases in the ionosphere. When the sun's particles collide with oxygen more than 300km above earth, a shade of red can sometimes be seen. The more common green lights are produced when collisions with oxygen take place at lower altitudes, between 100km and 300km above the planet. Lower still, nitrogen causes blue and reddish-violet streaks. When light intensity is weak the aurora appears as a diffusion of white cloud, looking a little like an active Milky Way. Excellent article about them in the Independant here. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe...hts-557301.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4725 Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Some pictures of them from Space! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4725 Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) And the video Edited October 8, 2009 by Christmas Tree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooner 243 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'd love to see the Northern lights (or indeed the Southern ones). Trouble is, they're never guaranteed. And obviously, you only see them in winter, when the chances are it will be total cloud cover (which was the case when I went to Iceland). I think you can maximise your chances by going when the sun is at its greatest activity (its on a 7 year cycle and correlates to sunspot activity). errrr.....really?? I think you may be mistaken on that one, they are a result of the solar radiation interacting with the magentic fields at the poles, nothing to do with the time of year, of course that is my limited understanding of them. That and I've seen them in the summer and have friends that tree planted in the northern parts of the prairies that said they saw incredidible displays during the summer plant.....but they may be more prevalent during the winter but you should be able to see them as long as you don't go above 60 degrees latitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezGiven 0 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Maybe not as good since in the far north, it doesnt get dark in the summer. I go out to Sweden every mid-summer and its light all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooner 243 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) Maybe not as good since in the far north, it doesnt get dark in the summer. I go out to Sweden every mid-summer and its light all day. agreed......northern prairies is lower than 60 degrees north where it stays light (dusk) for the night Edited October 8, 2009 by tooner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jusoda Kid 1 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Boring thread this like, would rather watch 10 episodes of 'the sky at night' back to back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4725 Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 For those interested, a large solar flare yesterday means that there is a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights tonight after midnight (according to tonights Look North). As usual, the further away from man made light, the better your chance of seeing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeys Fist 42449 Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 In pretty sure I saw them in North Wales. It would've been late March in 1991. I was putting up a fixed campsite on Shell Island, just south of Harlech. We noticed faint green vertical bands of light across the sky behind the Lleyn Peninsula ( north across the bay from us). They were too expansive to be a laser show or similar, and they didn't come from any single point. Lasted about 40 minutes then faded to nothing. I can't think of any other explanation other than the Northern Lights, but I'm ready to be put right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 In pretty sure I saw them in North Wales. It would've been late March in 1991. I was putting up a fixed campsite on Shell Island, just south of Harlech. We noticed faint green vertical bands of light across the sky behind the Lleyn Peninsula ( north across the bay from us). They were too expansive to be a laser show or similar, and they didn't come from any single point. Lasted about 40 minutes then faded to nothing. I can't think of any other explanation other than the Northern Lights, but I'm ready to be put right Mushies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeys Fist 42449 Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 In pretty sure I saw them in North Wales. It would've been late March in 1991. I was putting up a fixed campsite on Shell Island, just south of Harlech. We noticed faint green vertical bands of light across the sky behind the Lleyn Peninsula ( north across the bay from us). They were too expansive to be a laser show or similar, and they didn't come from any single point. Lasted about 40 minutes then faded to nothing. I can't think of any other explanation other than the Northern Lights, but I'm ready to be put right Mushies? Nah, we'd ran out the week before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Probably was them, I'm assuming there was very little light pollution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentAxeman 178 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Seen them from a plane window, flying to minneapolis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W 0 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 seen them in Norway & N Scotland a few times - normally in the winter Only once on Tyneside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 There's a surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeys Fist 42449 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Probably was them, I'm assuming there was very little light pollution. That's what we reckoned. There's nothing on the Lleyn lights wise, Paddys Puddle to the west and north. I'd love to see a real display somewhere still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 On Wednesday night stunning light displays were seen over parts of northern Europe, including Germany and Denmark, but so far scientists say there has not been "sufficient activity" over southern parts of the UK to produce a light show. Professor Mike Kosch from Lancaster University said it was "possible but unlikely" that the Northern Lights would be visible from England on Thursday night. He explained that the chances to view the results of the magnetic storms would be best in northern Scotland and northern parts of Europe. "They could be going on above our heads during the day, but we can't see them," he said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10880852 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W 0 Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 "They could be going on above our heads during the day, but we can't see them," he said." You know - SBR would have been proud of that statement.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4725 Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 On Wednesday night stunning light displays were seen over parts of northern Europe, including Germany and Denmark, but so far scientists say there has not been "sufficient activity" over southern parts of the UK to produce a light show. Professor Mike Kosch from Lancaster University said it was "possible but unlikely" that the Northern Lights would be visible from England on Thursday night. He explained that the chances to view the results of the magnetic storms would be best in northern Scotland and northern parts of Europe. "They could be going on above our heads during the day, but we can't see them," he said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10880852 Taken from Kielder last night and look north reckons cloud conditions should be even better tonight. They showed 3 or 4 pictures from last night at Kielder but I can only find this one so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Anyone see owt last night? They reckon there'll be activity tonight too. Supposed to be another clear cold night as well so thinking of driving a little north out of town. Where's the best spots? Takes an extra hour to get to/from Kielder, so would prefer to try Bamburgh castle way. Suggestions gratefully accepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4725 Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Anyone see owt last night? They reckon there'll be activity tonight too. Supposed to be another clear cold night as well so thinking of driving a little north out of town. Where's the best spots? Takes an extra hour to get to/from Kielder, so would prefer to try Bamburgh castle way. Suggestions gratefully accepted. Sounds quite exciting. Would have thought a few miles up the A1 from Morpeth should lose enough artificial night to see something. You have just ruined one of my kids night as I usually tend to drag them out to watch meteor showers and such. (Off now to search weather forecasts, activity etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 In terms of the coast. There's very little in the way of places once you get past Ashington until Amble. So Druridge Bay might be an idea. I might see you there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I'm tempted to give this a blast like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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