Good data, aurora expected!

Tonight, August 16/17, the aurora forecast is Kp 4 with potential of Kp 7 by tomorrow August 17/18. As of this post, data is pretty good, but the Bz is trending northward….wait for it to swing south. With a Bt in the double digits, it has great potential for a show. For Fairbanks, the time it is dark (enough) is a little after midnight until close to 3am.

It needs to be somewhat clear to see the aurora. If it is overcast, you may not see anything. The camera might make the clouds look greenish, depending on how thick they are. Sometimes it’s easy to drive a short distance to see the aurora, so check the weather radar in that case.

If we see Kp 7, that indicates the width of the aurora may reach into the mid latitudes of the USA, and dip a little further south than typical in northern Europe. Get away from all light pollution of the big cities to enjoy the northern lights.

Who says you can’t see the aurora in August? Unfortunately, many think there is no aurora or it’s impossible to see until late August or September. I would be showing you earlier aurora than August 12/13, but it has been very cloudy over my area (North Pole, Alaska) in the prior week.

Video: Time lapse of the aurora, competing with the midnight sun. Camera used: Wyze cam. More info below