If aurora be about where around sydney would be best to try to see?

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

Supposedly there may be aurora visible at high latitude
Where around Sydney is there somewhere with really dark skies and a southern lookout?

Hargraves lookout? Anywhere closer?

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by seeker372011

Supposedly there may be aurora visible at high latitude
Where around Sydney is there somewhere with really dark skies and a southern lookout?

Hargraves lookout? Anywhere closer?

Narayan, from the visibility diagram on http://www.aurora-service.net/ you are never likely to see aurorae as far north as Sydney. The places to be are South Island NZ, Tasmania, or deep south parts of Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia.

[Wavytone]

Andrew that simply isn't true. Yes is possible to see one from our latitude - and yes, you'll have to go as far as Hargraves to stand much chance of a good view.

I've seen - and photographed - a good one from Mt Banks (north across the Grose valley) on Bells Line of Rd in October 1989, which at that time was about as good for observing as Hargraves is now. Andrew James has one of the images online here http://www.southastrodel.com/PageAurora001.htm. This was taken from the upper carpark nearest the main road, facing south - the lights are across the valley in Blackheath/Medlow Bath.

This was a 10 second exposure on Ektachrome slide film pushed to around ISO800, using a 17mm rectilinear wide-angle lens at f/3.5 (the field of view is 100 degrees diagonally). It was so bright it drowned out all but the brightest stars and you could have read a newspaper headline by it; the brightest object in that frame is Jupiter, in the western sky. The aurora started from the south and came over in huge waves, each lasting 5 minutes, then a gap of 20 minutes or so till the next.

It was also kind of eerie, sitting there on a warm, dead calm evening with not a sound, and having this going on overhead.

Since then I've also seen a few reddish discharges along the southern horizon though they didn't come overhead. From someone I know at the BOM, apparently these often result in country farmers calling the bush fire brigade to report a distant (non-existent) bushfire.

[sheeny (Al)]

I've seen 2 or 3 aurora over the years from Oberon. They were pretty faint, but clearly identifiable as aurora (this goes back to pre-internet days when ther was no forecast, so you just happened to see them). Skies are getting more polluted all the time though, so no guarantees. I haven't seen any lately though.

Al.

[tonybarry (Tony)]

Originally Posted by Wavytone

[SNIP]
I've seen - and photographed - a good one from Mt Banks (north across the Grose valley) on Bells Line of Rd in October 1989, which at that time was about as good for observing as Hargraves is now.
[SNIP]
The aurora started from the south and came over in huge waves, each lasting 5 minutes, then a gap of 20 minutes or so till the next.
[SNIP]
It was also kind of eerie, sitting there on a warm, dead calm evening with not a sound, and having this going on overhead.

Hi Wavy,

This is very good info. I have had conversation with a friend who remembers aurorae at either Tamworth or Armidale when he was young (say 10 years old, perhaps 50 years ago). But yes, it is rare (i.e. decades apart).

Regards,
Tony Barry

[Wavytone]

Originally Posted by tonybarry

But yes, it is rare (i.e. decades apart).

That's not a coincidence - the best chance is around solar maximum (11 years apart) and 2014 is pretty much the peak of the current cycle. It's no surprise to see an event like the one that occurred yesterday.

I was very lucky to see that one in 1989, probably one of the best ever this far north in my lifetime.

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

Well unfortunately Friday/Saturday night was clouded out so we won't know if it was visible this time

On Friday night 12 September the KP index was well into red but had dropped back into green by 13 September

So lucky Wavytone to sight in the past. That photograph is simply stunning; visually I'd imagine you wouldn't see that colour ? I have no idea what it would like to the naked eye.

According to that site sydney should experience aurora once every 5 years. We should be so lucky!

[Paul Haese]

Narayan, I am amazed at the main stream media who have beat this up. The Facebook page for Tassie aurora has been inundated with people wanting to know the same thing. The fact is that it would take an X3 class flare or higher with long duration to make aurora visible from Sydney. And; importantly the Bz would have to be well negative. An X1.6 class flare while powerful just does not have the energy generally to produce the results forecast around the media. So for next time, look for higher X class and check out the ACE satellite out and for readings with a steep negative Bz. A Kp index of around 8 or 9 would produce visible aurora in the south of Sydney. So being in the red is one thing but it needs to be very strong.

Just by way of example and to finish. In the last cycle Adelaide had one or two events where aurora was visible in the metro area and north of the city. That solar cycle was much more powerful that this cycle. It produced the sort of flares that produced good aurora. And; by contrast the 56-58 maximum produced strong aurora seen in the metro area with colours ranging from green to blue at the top. That cycle was the strongest in the last 100 odd years with a smoothed number of 200 odd. The current cycle is around 70 odd smoothed.

Hope that helps to be informative.