Why was the aurora out last night?

I will never figure out the aurora. Most of the time there’s a clear connection and forecast indicating that a flare or coronal hole on the sun will have a certain probability of zinging the Earth’s magnetic field. That might … Continue reading →

The sun is nearly blank around 8:30 a.m. (CDT) today with only one obvious sunspot group to the lower left. With few spots, don’t expect much much auroral activity … then again, you never know. Credit: SDO/NASA
I will never figure out the aurora. Most of the time there’s a clear connection and forecast indicating that a flare or coronal hole on the sun will have a certain probability of zinging the Earth’s magnetic field. That might precipitate a display of the northern lights anywhere from the high Arctic to as far south as Arizona.
Like the weather forecast, sometimes space meteorologists get it wrong though not for lack of trying. Nature does not always follow expected pathways despite the best available data and computer modeling.
Around 12:30 this morning (June 25) the northern sky was aglow with a very low green arc and faint, streaky rays. Details: 35mm lens, f/2.8, ISO 2000 and 30-second exposure. ...