Aurora Australis

[Becstar (Rebecca)]

Hi guys, amatuer here with only some very basic equipment.

I'm interesting in travelling to Wilsons Promontory to try and see the Aurora Australis.

My question is how will I know the best time to travel and catch a glimpse? Is there a website or resource where I can keep track of solar events which may trigger one this far north?

This web page has me really inspired and eager to try and catch a glimpse of it: http://earthsky.org/earth/rare-photo...ioluminescence

[DavidU (Dave)]

I use this one, quite accurate.
http://helios.swpc.noaa.gov/ovation/

[sheeny (Al)]

Here's a few I use:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Aurora/globeSE.html
http://www.ips.gov.au/Space_Weather
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapS.html
http://www.ips.gov.au/Geophysical/4/1
http://www.spaceweather.com/

Some of them you need to use in combination, but I lately I like the 2nd last one.

Al.

[CapturingTheNight (Greg)]

I have a blog post showing the ones I use the most: http://www.capturingthenight.com/aurora-chasing/

All the ones there and the ones Al and David linked are more for current conditions. If you want potentially a few days notice then then I find this site the best http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wsa-enlil/ Just remember that all times are Universal Time and that predictions are just that- predictions. They are all well and good but it is only when the earth based monitoring stations actually detect and measure the solar wind, that accurate aurora numbers can given.

The first link that Al lists can be a little bit misleading. Those lines more represent the Kp strength needed to get the aurora oval directly overhead. You certainly do not need a Kp9 solar storm to see something from Wilsons Prom (or even Moe for that matter). Trust me when I say that a Kp6 storm (assuming little to no moon and little to no light pollution to the south) would easily be photographed from your location. I have photographed aurora from as far north as Wagga Wagga in NSW and I'm pretty sure that the last one that I saw from Mt Buffalo (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/a...2&d=1363690578 and http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=136387& d=1365150859 )would have been easily photographed from as far north as Sydney (and possibly well beyond- assuming no light pollution). From memory Colins pictures that you linked were a Kp5 (maybe even 4) storm.
I mainly say photographed because unless you are indeed directly under the aurora oval most aurora displays appear to the naked eye as a glow in the sky with little to no color perceived. You can see some color but no where near the color that the cameras long exposure brings out.
Happy aurora chasing and Good Luck!

[Octane (Humayun)]

Aurora Forecast on the iPhone lets you know what's going on, too.

I made the in-app purchase to send out notifications and set the threshold to 8.

H