Northern lights go way, way south

[koalabear]

A solar outburst sparked surprising displays of the northern lights as far south as Arkansas, Mississippi and North Carolina tonight, marking one of the farthest-reaching auroral shows in years.

As word spread about the geomagnetic storm, photos streamed onto the Web from the usual places, such as Norway, Sweden and Iceland, but also from locales that are typically too far south to see the northern lights: Oklahoma ... Kansas ... Kentucky ... Tennessee ... Virginia.

Among the websites tracking the fireworks are SpaceWeather.com, the Weather Channel and Universe Today.

Arkansas photographer Brian Emfinger was alerted to the northern lights by SpaceWeather.com's aurora alert. "I ran out and put my camera out and immediately saw reddish aurora," he wrote. "I ran out into the field, and within a few minutes the aurora went crazy!"


http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/25/8474218-northern-lights-go-way-way-south?GT1=43001

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/111024-coslog--aurora5-1115p.photoblog900.jpg

 

[oggbashan]

I daren't show that to the wife.

Years ago I asked her if she would want to see the Aurora Borealis that night because it would be visible as far South as Kent.

She refused because 'It's too cold out there'.

I drove a couple of miles and walked half a mile to a cliff top well away from any street lights and saw a wonderful show.

A couple of years ago, she and our youngest daughter went to Iceland for the weekend, specifically wanting to see the lights. They had a brief glimpse as the plane turned to approach the airport. After that, their whole stay was marred by cloud and they didn't see a thing.

She is also annoyed because I've seen the Southern Aurora from a liner crossing the Great Australian Bight.

So I'll not mention the Aurora...