Aurora Borealis August/September 2016

[maggieworkman]

I have been monitoring the Aurora probability site and it looks like there will be high activity during our Alaskan cruise the last week of August/first week of September. It looks like on some nights it will go south including Juneau and Ketchikan.

 

Any hints on maximizing our viewing of this? Is there a certain time we should start watching or just anytime after dark?

 

Any hints on photographing this? I am not a professional photographer but I got a nice DSLR for Christmas in anticipation of our Alaskan cruise.

 

Thanks!

 

Maggie

[H2opilot]

:DGreat news , no help on the view tips but will be SB 1st week Sep. Hope your Intel materializes !!! Another AK bonus :D:D

Edited August 18, 2016 by H2opilot

[Marylandteachergirl]

Hi!

 

Can you please share the link to the AB monitoring site?

[Sequim88]

Which site? I frequently monitor several and the K index (Kp) values have been sitting at 1 and sometimes 2 for the past week and generally has to be at 5 or more to be considered a "storm". NOAA Space Weather is saying for the 27 day forecast:

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity

15 August - 10 September 2016

 

Solar activity is expected to be very low with a chance for C-class

activity through the outlook period.

 

But... there have been occasional random C1 level flares so like Earth weather space weather can be unpredictable - good luck. Good news for Alaska viewing farther south is the magnetic pole has been moving from norther Canada toward the geographic pole so not as far east of Alaska's cruise routes.

Edited August 18, 2016 by Sequim88

[azbeachbum2016]

We will also be on an Alaskan cruise during this time and hoping to see also!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[maggieworkman]

Here is the website I was using. Someone on another thread posted it awhile ago.

 

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

 

Here is an example of one day from the last week of August:

 

Tues. Aug. 30

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/Alaska/20160830

 

 

 

This site labels this as a "5" but it doesn't specify what scale it is using. So not sure if it is the same scale as mentioned above. But it does list it as "high".

 

Maggie

Edited August 19, 2016 by maggieworkman

[Marylandteachergirl]

Thank you!!

[Budget Queen]

It is way too early to be making predictions. Frankly, you really need to be checking- daily for THAT day.

 

As for "time". sorry, no, wrong thinking. IF a priority, then you really need to "looking", during ALL of darkness. When aurora is seen- it can be for minutes- to hours. NO way to predict anything. The biggest problem with cruise ships, are they are too light. When I'm out, I've found, usually the front open decks, which are lower, are my better areas- BUT, it depends on your direction. You HAVE to have north facing viewing.

 

For more, success, taking a look at least every hour would be my suggestion. Do NOT count on anyone- "waking" you up. :)

[maggieworkman]

Well, I wasn't asking for a specific TIME that I should expect to see the aurora. I just meant, should I start watching as soon as it is dark? Or is this something that only happens in the wee hours of the morning (2 am, etc.)

 

Maggie

[Deeliteful]

Hi Maggie

 

I have been fortunate enough to see the Aurora in Scotland and in Iceland. The Icelandic trips usually take you out about 10 pm through to 2 am. Scotland it was around midnight when we saw them.

 

Would be a great bonus to see them in Alaska too. Here's hoping! I arrive in Vancouver on 31st August and cruise is from 4th September. Fingers crossed for us.

 

Cheers

 

Pat

[donaldsc]

Unfortunately, if seeing aurora is a real priority, you have to plan a trip specifically around this priority. That means going in the winter time to a place where it is really dark for a period where there is no moon and spending enough time there to allow for cloudy days.

 

In my case, I went to Fairbanks in March and stayed in Chena Hot Springs for 5 days. Luckily, I had 5 days of cloudless nights and 5 nights of wonderful aurora. Trip was a bit expensive however. Also bloody cold.

 

DON

[Budget Queen]

Well, I wasn't asking for a specific TIME that I should expect to see the aurora. I just meant, should I start watching as soon as it is dark? Or is this something that only happens in the wee hours of the morning (2 am, etc.)

 

Maggie

 

Sorry, as I mentioned, IF a "priority" take a look, at least every hour. I have seen aurora through sunsets, have a "winner" photo I took on my wall, all the way through morning. As Don mentioned, those trips are specific for aurora for me, which I've done in March- and invest 2 weeks for that priority. With less time, and a "priority", you have to be even more aggressive in taking advantage of your limited opportunities.

[RoxiRoo]

I have heard that if you let Guest Relations know, if it is sighted, they will call your room. Another option, if you have wifi, is to sign up for an alert that calls you. I have that through a service called softservenews and they call when the number is such that I might see it. Only problem is - they call like an hour beforehand..... I want a 10 minute alarm, but that isn't an option yet.

 

However, with the service, they will also tell you when it is likely so that you can kind of be on the alert those nights.

 

I still haven't seen it, but hope to in September when I am there.

 

If we were on the same cruise, I would let you know, but we are not. There is some good information online for night photography. I am not good at that stuff, just give me a setting that says "night". Google "photographing northern lights' and I am sure you will find a ton of advice.

 

Good luck! Hope you see them!

 

Julie

[Ofmyheart]

We missed Aurora in Alaska in previous Sept cruise, and also missed in Iceland. We have our fingers crossed for this Sept, we are going 2nd week.

[Sequim88]

Interesting that UAF has such a different number. From the range of numbers definitely looks like the K index. But the UAF Geophysical Institute is world class in upper atmosphere research.

 

From my experiences with aurora in Minnesota I saw them most often around 11pm but after that would have been in bed and oblivious to later appearances. When I did see the lights it was often gone a half hour later. Has to be very dark if viewing from fringe areas farther south.

 

Chena Hot Springs is on our wish list for a winter trip - both for aurora and the springs. Now that we are in WA state (home of Alaska air) that may happen.

[donaldsc]

Interesting that UAF has such a different number. From the range of numbers definitely looks like the K index. But the UAF Geophysical Institute is world class in upper atmosphere research.

 

From my experiences with aurora in Minnesota I saw them most often around 11pm but after that would have been in bed and oblivious to later appearances. When I did see the lights it was often gone a half hour later. Has to be very dark if viewing from fringe areas farther south.

 

Chena Hot Springs is on our wish list for a winter trip - both for aurora and the springs. Now that we are in WA state (home of Alaska air) that may happen.

 

I went to Chena Hot Springs. It was great. Aurora at night and the hot springs all day.

 

DON

[RoxiRoo]

Thanks guys, had to google Chena Hot Springs..... have now added it to the Bucket List. :) I was looking for a good Aurora viewing destination and this is A LOT closer than Lapland!

[maggieworkman]

Unfortunately, if seeing aurora is a real priority, you have to plan a trip specifically around this priority. That means going in the winter time to a place where it is really dark for a period where there is no moon and spending enough time there to allow for cloudy days.

 

In my case, I went to Fairbanks in March and stayed in Chena Hot Springs for 5 days. Luckily, I had 5 days of cloudless nights and 5 nights of wonderful aurora. Trip was a bit expensive however. Also bloody cold.

 

DON

 

I wouldn't say it is a priority for me. My main priority is to see the glaciers.

 

But ... if there is a chance to see the aurora borealis, I wouldn't mind seeing it and would maximize my opportunity to see it. I don't have my hopes up. However, it would be an added bonus if we did!!

 

Maggie

[bottom-dragger]

they've been visable the last two nights with many shooting stars as a bennie.

[BecciBoo]

Fingers and toes crossed for our cruise next week, figure Juneau is our best shot.

[willowvacay]

On our cruise in 2015 the cruise line made an overhead announcement around dinner time stating that AB would be visible probably some time after midnight. When we went out on the upper cruise deck we couldn't see anything. However when we went out on our balcony with all the lights off we could see it really well. I got terrible pictures of it so unfortunately I have no advice on how to photograph it. Lol. Wish I would have known the best settings at the time. However it will just have to be one of those memories I have no photos for...just like the days of yore when none of us had a camera available 24/7 ;)