If you're into stuff like this, Spaceweather.com is a good site to check out what's going. This is the current picture for the "auroral oval". This CME (coronal mass ejection, aka big glob of sun stuff) turned out to be a bit slower and lower energy than first predicted, so southern New England is really at the farthest edge of potential viewing - which means we're very unlikely to see anything here in Boston - too much light pollution here, even on a clear night.
Given how infrequently one sees the aurora in these parts, I was thinking of heading to the top of a nearby hill (Prospect Hill in Somerville) to see what I could see. I figure the worst that happens is it's cloudy and lame, and we walk down to the Independent after a few minutes for some liquid strength.
It's the light pollution. I've seen the Northern Lights a few times around here, once down the Cape and few times in Western Mass, but never in the city. One of those times (circa 1990) offered truly fantastic light show.
I was thinking about heading to the beach, maybe Revere Beach (at least for me) or some south eastern facing beach (where you can see a large portion of the horizon).. but meh, like Urb I get up very early in the morning to work.
Comments
From Boston?
Is it supposed to be viewable from Boston? I'd have thought we'd need to be farther north.
Maybe?
The map I saw on the news this morning put Boston right on the edge of "Possible viewing". Although it might be a little cloudy tonight. :(
If you're into stuff like this, Spaceweather.com is a good site
If you're into stuff like this, Spaceweather.com is a good site to check out what's going. This is the current picture for the "auroral oval". This CME (coronal mass ejection, aka big glob of sun stuff) turned out to be a bit slower and lower energy than first predicted, so southern New England is really at the farthest edge of potential viewing - which means we're very unlikely to see anything here in Boston - too much light pollution here, even on a clear night.
Nothing to lose
Given how infrequently one sees the aurora in these parts, I was thinking of heading to the top of a nearby hill (Prospect Hill in Somerville) to see what I could see. I figure the worst that happens is it's cloudy and lame, and we walk down to the Independent after a few minutes for some liquid strength.
a different Prospect Hill might be more promising
namely, the one in Waltham?
It's not the latitude
It's the light pollution. I've seen the Northern Lights a few times around here, once down the Cape and few times in Western Mass, but never in the city. One of those times (circa 1990) offered truly fantastic light show.
Yup
If you want to have a chance to see them, the quest place to get is East of Boston in the bay:
http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/index.php?lat=42.32084307909277...
So it's the northern lights you're talking about..
.....and not an off Broadway production of Sleeping Beauty (princess Aurora).
Maybe if I didn't have to be up at 5:45am
I think I'll pass. It seems these things never come to fruition around here. If it wasn't before a weekday, sure, I'll give it a shot.
Beach
I was thinking about heading to the beach, maybe Revere Beach (at least for me) or some south eastern facing beach (where you can see a large portion of the horizon).. but meh, like Urb I get up very early in the morning to work.
Look North, Uhubman!
Southeast won't help you ... if you must do a beach, try Nahant.
They ain't called the northern lights for nothing.