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Aurora Borealis visible in Ontario tonight

GTA could see spectacular Northern Lights tonight
August 03, 2010

Lesley Ciarula Taylor


If we�re lucky, the sky Tuesday night will explode into a dazzling light show.

�We might see it straight overhead,� Dr. Ralph Chou, president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Toronto centre told the Star Tuesday.

�We might end up with something quite spectacular. We�ve been waiting a long time for something like this to happen.�

What�s happened is a coronal mass ejection, a shotgun-like blast of energy that has burst out of the sun and is pointed directly at Earth. Astronomers spotted it Sunday and it�s heading this way.

That blast could set off a kaleidoscope overnight � meaning any time before dawn � of Northern Lights visible far farther south than usual, and illuminating the sky over Greater Toronto.

�The sun has been quiet for the last few years,� said Chou. �The last time the sun was very, very active, there was a lot of bright auroras overhead as far south as the southern United States.�

If tonight�s show lives up to its billing, �You will see the colours very well or at least shimmering lights� despite the light pollution the cities of the GTA spew into the sky.

�This is a very, very large shock front,� said Chou. �By the time it reaches us, it will have spread out quite a bit, so it will be a global phenomenon.�

NASA�s new Solar Dynamics Observatory, a probe launched Feb. 11, picked up the first vivid images of the sun�s explosions.

SDO scientists described Sunday�s burst as �the first signs that the sun is waking up and heading toward another solar maximum.�

The last one was in 2001, the top of an 11-year cycle.

Right now, solar particles are streaming down the field lines toward the Earth�s poles. The particles crash with atoms of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, setting off a glow of rippling curtains of green and red lights, according to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

The best approach, said Chou, is just to wait until dark then go outside and look up. He may do that in his western Mississauga backyard or go to the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, now run by the society.

The observatory grounds will be open to the public for the stellar event.

Before he goes out, though, Chou will put his computer on standby, �just in case.�

The sunburst is energy and that energy could fry communications satellites, trip transformer stations, create power surges, or zap airplane passengers with a little extra dose of radiation, he said.

Then again, it could all just fizzle and the most anyone will see is something that looks like clouds, even in a clear sky, warned Chou.

�Heaven knows.�

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/art...ht-show-tonight

so in which direction do we look? north?

Cloud cover might ruin it ... if you are north of GTA you have a better chance of viewing it. Yes, closer to the Arctic - the better the effect of aurora borealis. Typically aurora borealis is viewed far up North, so this is a rare opportunity.

Dam weather! Dam clouds!

what time is this show happenin

quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium Cloud cover might ruin it ... if you are north of GTA you have a better chance of viewing it. Yes, closer to the Arctic - the better the effect of aurora borealis. Typically aurora borealis is viewed far up North, so this is a rare opportunity. Dam weather! Dam clouds!

I've already started my drive to the Artic Circle... I hope I get good pics!

There is a full moon out and i see uranus

quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium Cloud cover might ruin it ... if you are north of GTA you have a better chance of viewing it. Yes, closer to the Arctic - the better the effect of aurora borealis. Typically aurora borealis is viewed far up North, so this is a rare opportunity. Dam weather! Dam clouds!

I will be VERY upset if I dont catch a glimpse at LEAST of it tonight

quote:

Originally posted by LKD I will be VERY upset if I dont catch a glimpse at LEAST of it tonight

Of Uranus?

Re: Aurora Borealis visible in Ontario tonight

quote:

Originally posted by LKD What�s happened is a coronal mass ejection, a shotgun-like blast of energy that has burst out of the sun and is pointed directly at Earth. Astronomers spotted it Sunday and it�s heading this way.

omg the sun is jizzing! run! lol

Re: Re: Aurora Borealis visible in Ontario tonight

quote:

Originally posted by Swamper omg the sun is jizzing! run! lol

LOL.

They say that wreaks havoc on a LOT of electronic equipment all over the place. Uh ohz...run indeed.

I saw thisn Newmarket once...

Very doubtfully we'd see them in the GTA though...

Even on a clear night...

quote:

Originally posted by Prometheus Xex Of Uranus?

not his but maybe uranus. Or mine

quote:

Originally posted by VDub I saw thisn Newmarket once... Very doubtfully we'd see them in the GTA though... Even on a clear night...

I'm in north Brampton. If it's clear enough I might take a drive up HWY 10 to try to catch a glimpse.

quote:

Originally posted by VDub I saw thisn Newmarket once... Very doubtfully we'd see them in the GTA though... Even on a clear night...

Yeah, best place to see it is deep in the countryside, with as few street lights and city illuminations as possible. If you're in Toronto, even on a clear night - good luck!

Looks like the clouds might actually clear up, guys - good news! I'll be sleeping though, as I need to be up at 4am!

quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium Looks like the clouds might actually clear up, guys - good news!

not in Sauga!

quote:

Originally posted by LKD not in Sauga!

Its already starting to clear up over here, southwest of Hamilton. To see the cloud cover maps, click on this link - helpful if you want to drive out for the best place with the least cloud cover tonight:

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/satellite/index_e.html

what time is it supposed to start?

as per the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, it's supposed to be in full effect about now.

quote:

Originally posted by LKD as per the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, it's supposed to be in full effect about now.

That's close to my house. I may try and go after work. Hmmm.

quote:

Originally posted by chinamon what time is it supposed to start?

If you can get a chance to see it, is your camera sensitive enough to photograph it?

quote:

Originally posted by Prometheus Xex If you can get a chance to see it, is your camera sensitive enough to photograph it?

longer exposure might do the trick, no?

im gonna pick up oz right now and drive up the 400 for an hour or two and see what happens. ive got my camera and tripod with me.

quote:

Originally posted by chinamon im gonna pick up oz right now and drive up the 400 for an hour or two and see what happens. ive got my camera and tripod with me.

Nice.


Knowing Oz, watch your ass...literally.

quote:

Originally posted by LKD longer exposure might do the trick, no?

Maybe not. It might reduce the image to more of a blur and you'll loose detail. Now I'm not sure if a tiny exposure of, let's say, a few seconds would work? Then again I could be wrong especially if there's next to nothing in quickish movement the aurora streams.

I'm skeptical that you'll see images like ...

quote:

Originally posted by chinamon im gonna pick up oz right now and drive up the 400 for an hour or two and see what happens. ive got my camera and tripod with me.

An hour will get you into Barrie, two would be overkill. Just north of Barrie (HWY 400 north, or the old hwy 69) should be more than sufficient... this is the Horseshoe Valley area. I wonder if just going past the Holland Marsh (past hwy 89) would be enough?

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