More Northern Lights Tonight - Thread (05/11/24)
NOAA has released this map showing that tonight should prove to be another great showing! Most of Minnesota, if not all, could have overhead lights again!
Current Report (8:15): The new prediction model has a steady and strong Aurora forecast through tomorrow night. Currently, numbers aren't matching the prediction levels, but they are rising (KP will be rising to 5, which is enough for the Northland to have a view). Fingers crossed the trend continues!
The weather report has much of Minnesota clearing of most cloud cover. Feel free to comment conditions of your area in case this isn't the case.
Remember, to see them you need to be away from light pollution. Find a field or lake with a NORTH FACING view, and remember to respect the area you camp out at. If you need tips for where to look, feel free to browse yesterday's thread or ask in the comments below. I try my best to respond to anyone asking for help!
In referencing the Aurora site (SoftServeNews), you want the Perfect Trio: High KP numbers, your location on the map report being covered and red Bz numbers.
You need the following KP to see the Lights relative to these cities:
- 4.33 - Grand Marais to Pembina
- 5 - Duluth to Grand Forks
- 5.33 - Sandstone to Fergus Falls
- 6 - Twin Cities to Ortonville
- 6.33 - Winona to Pipestone
It is to note, if you have a better view of the northern horizon, then these levels can be lowered. For example, Duluth can be as low as 4KP if you have a great view of the northern horizon and are out of the way of light pollution.
The five sites I use for Aurora prediction, cloud cover and light pollution are as follows:
Aurora - SoftServeNews
Aurora - NOAA's Dashboard
More deeper Aurora analysis - SpaceWeatherLive
Cloud Cover - ClearDarkSky
Light Pollution - ClearDarkSky
Feel free to leave any updates from your part of Minnesota and drop any questions you may have! Good luck!