[OkHam] Aurora Possible

[Lloyd Colston]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK

640 PM CST TUE OCT 28 2003



..POTENTIAL FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS TONIGHT...



AN EXTREMELY STRONG SOLAR FLARE WAS PRODUCED BY THE SUN AROUND 5 AM

CST THIS MORNING. SOLAR FLARES PRODUCE WHAT IS KNOWN AS A CORONAL

MASS EJECTION /OR C.M.E./ WHICH IS AN OUTFLOW OF PLASMA FROM THE

SUN. UNDER THE CORRECT CIRCUMSTANCES... WHEN A CME INTERACTS WITH

THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE EARTH... IT MAY PRODUCE THE AURORA

BOREALIS... OR NORTHERN LIGHTS.



THE CORONAL MASS EJECTION THAT WAS PRODUCED BY THIS MORNING'S STRONG

SOLAR FLARE APPEARS TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD THE EARTH... AND COMBINED

WITH THE INTENSITY OF THIS SOLAR FLARE... THERE IS AN INCREASED

CHANCE OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS... PERHAPS EVEN AS FAR SOUTH AS

OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS. UNFORTUNATELY... THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE STILL

QUITE UNPREDICTABLE AND THE CHANCE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS WILL

DEPEND ON SPECIFIC PROPERTIES OF THIS CORONAL MASS EJECTION THAT CAN

NOT BE MEASURED UNTIL THIS STREAM REACHES THE EARTH. THERE IS STILL

A POSSIBILITY THAT NO NORTHERN LIGHTS WILL BE PRODUCED OR THAT ANY

AURORA WILL REMAIN TOO FAR NORTH TO BE SEEN.



CURRENT FORECASTS INDICATE THAT THIS CORONAL MASS EJECTION MAY REACH

THE EARTH AS EARLY AS THIS EVENING... ALTHOUGH MORE LIKELY AFTER

MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. SKYWATCHERS WILL WANT TO OCCASIONALLY WATCH THE

SKY TO THE NORTH OVERNIGHT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF NORTHERN LIGHTS.



$$
-- 


Lloyd Colston		Mayes County CEM
Pryor, OK USA		http://www.geocities.com/mccem
    When Danger comes, it is too late to plan.