Liberty will do better than here… as will many spots. Definitely gonna chase this year if it’s looking grim, or if there is a storm that just looks too good to skip. Lots of PTO banked and may need some good vibe distractions. Snow ain’t that reliable for that!
I think it’s more the cameras that have improved rather than the satellites. Everyone now carries a $1000 camera with them at all times. We’ve realized we don’t need G5s or K9 or whatevers to see Aurora in the mid-Atlantic.
My theory is social media vastly has increased awareness… plus phone camera exposure and night mode being so readily acceptable. Think Aurora is probably visible from Shenandoah a dozen+ times a year during the years of solar maximum. Wouldn’t have known that in the past because no one tried… or if they did it wasn’t shared out.
My night is being spent at the Young (last year being “young”) Alumni Reunion for UVA… so I’m gonna make a call of whether I can *really* get out to the mountains after the party. Otherwise, gonna drive towards localized darkness and see if I can get a photo. Light pollution gets a lot better even down to Covesville. Just need to find a north view!
Read something about the first CME tonight maybe “destabilizing” (probably the wrong term) the skies (definitely the wrong term… ionosphere? Idk) and it could make the 2nd night more interesting. Sounded interesting to me.
Anyone Aurora tracking? Going to be down in Charlottesville this weekend - thinking of giving it a go tomorrow night, assuming the CME timing pans out. Still looks cloudy today.
We love to be a serious weather forum people rely on for tropical news but also spend 10 posts (I guess this one included) each time the 3k NAM, which we all know has zero tropical value, spits out a nuke…
Too bad there are all these clouds - would’ve been a good night to head west to see the aurora. Hoping for another good shot the next 1-2 years of solar maximum!