Solar blast to light up NZ skies tonight

Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:20 am » by **Slushpup**

Any people here from New Zealand? If there are it would be great to see if you guys can get some pics of this occurrence for posterity.. Sounds like it might be a very cool event to witness..
Slushpup

he NZ sky could be lit up by the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights after Nasa detected a solar blast heading towards earth. Photo / NASA

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=10663330

The New Zealand sky could be lit up by the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, tonight after American space agency Nasa detected a solar blast heading towards earth.

The flare, consisting of large clouds of charged particles, will probably have no noticeable consequences apart from possibly causing aurora which Nasa described as "rippling dancing curtains of green and red light".

Stargazers who live in the South Island will have a better chance of catching a glimpse of the aurora as the effect is stronger closer to both poles.

Stardome Observatory Astronomer Dr Grant Christie said it had been the sun's longest quiet period in a century.

"We were hoping that the sun wasn't totally comatose and it was going to come to life again and it looks like that's happening," said Dr Christie. What's unusual is it's taken it a long time to do that."

The aurora is caused as the particles ejected from the sun interacted with earth's magnetic field, creating a geomagnetic storm, Nasa said.

Solar particles then stream down the field lines toward Earth's poles and collide with atoms of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, resulting in spectacular night time displays in the sky.

Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:32 am » by **Heinousone**

Damn it. We need bigger solar blasts. Would be amazing to see one of these with my own eyes.

Tue Aug 03, 2010 9:48 am » by **Offthegrid**

Yep im here in nz, will keep my eyes open but looks like we got a huge low covering the country,but you never know will keep the camera handy :flop:

Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:08 am » by **Will69ease**

I couldn't believe nobody was paying attention to this. At best, it will be a light show beyond the normal lights of the north and south. The Earth's magnetic sphere should light up the sky. It could effect the side of the earth facing the side of the CME's impact. God alone only knows.
If your phone and your TV and your computer fail tomorrow...later today, you'll know why.

Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:22 am » by **Offthegrid**

will69ease wrote:I couldn't believe nobody was paying attention to this. At best, it will be a light show beyond the normal lights of the north and south. The Earth's magnetic sphere should light up the sky. It could effect the side of the earth facing the side of the CME's impact. God alone only knows.
If your phone and your TV and your computer fail tomorrow...later today, you'll know why.

Funny you should say that been having major problems staying online :headscratch:

Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:57 am » by **Yoshy**

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A ... ml&h=1add8 thought you might want to take a look at this one too

Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:23 am » by **Ladyjet1**

I'm in NZ, and almost southernmost!!! I'm really excited and hope to see this spectacle - I will definately be waking everyone if I see it!!

Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:25 am » by **Ladyjet1**

offthegrid wrote:Yep im here in nz, will keep my eyes open but looks like we got a huge low covering the country,but you never know will keep the camera handy

crystal clear night in the deep south!!

Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:26 am » by **Will69ease**

ladyjet1 wrote:I'm in NZ, and almost southernmost!!! I'm really excited and hope to see this spectacle - I will definately be waking everyone if I see it!!

Try and get it on video. I imagine you should be in for one hell of a show.
I'm praying that's all it is.

Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:17 am » by **Offthegrid**

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/Mess ... &#p7646533

internet shuting down all over nz,solar flare or service provider