Advance planning for an aurora trip

Gary Gapinski wrote:
Patty Winter wrote:
I'm starting to suss out where to go in 2011 or 2012 for the
peak of the solar cycle to see some really good aurorae. If
I recall correctly, the viewing is actually better below the
polar circle, right? (In this case, I'm aiming for the Arctic.)
Assuming that one gets away from light pollution, would there
be any substantial difference in the quality of the aurorae
in, say, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau? (Or Canadian cities
at equivalent latitudes.)


I'm planning a trip to northwest Canada and Alaska this year, and also
hope to get some aurora viewing in. Of course, the long nights of winter
are likely best, but here's some links:

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/aurora_predict/worldmap6.html
http://www.spaceweather.com/
http://www.aurorachasers.com/
http://www.auroraborealisyukon.com/auroracast/
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Aurora/index.html
http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/
http://www.salatshots.com/aurora-prediction.php
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/lights.html

Best months statistically are March and September.

Now this thread has me thinking. I've always wanted to take a trip
through the Yukon and North West Territories. I would love to drive
up to Inuvik and fly into Ivvavik National Park.

Sept 2011 is very near the predicted maximum. Climate data is
favorable for that time of the year, for us northerners
Sunrise and sunset tables suggest reasonably dark skies for
several hours during the night. Looks like a 200+ Kilometer
flight into the park from civilization. Don't think light
pollution would be much of a factor.

Being retired gives me a bit of a problem. I don't get holidays
anymore. I'd have to get in and out of there with only a few
months to spare. Oh well I guess I could always find a spot for a
little fishing or sightseeing along the way.

Probably drive all the way up there and back and not see any aurorae
at all, while the neighbors back home are having to put on sunglasses
to view them.

Have a good trip this year Gary. Patty I hope you get to see some of
those displays that take your breath away.

LdB

On 24 Feb 2008 03:56:55 GMT in rec.travel.usa-canada, Patty
Winter wrote:

Yes. Fairbanks is at the best latitude,

Is that because it's closer to where aurorae are being generated?

yes, and because the nights are longer after the solstice.

besides, the recognized research center for auroras is the

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

check out their aurora forecast

and also look at

http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraFo...elersGuide.htm

In article ,
Dennis P. Harris wrote:
On 24 Feb 2008 03:56:55 GMT in rec.travel.usa-canada, Patty
Winter wrote:
[Dennis Harris wrote]
Fairbanks is at the best latitude,

Is that because it's closer to where aurorae are being generated?

yes, and because the nights are longer after the solstice.

Got it, thanks.

I'll check out those links, too.


Patty

In article ,
Patty Winter wrote:
I'm starting to suss out where to go in 2011 or 2012 for the
peak of the solar cycle to see some really good aurorae. If
I recall correctly, the viewing is actually better below the
polar circle, right? (In this case, I'm aiming for the Arctic.)
Assuming that one gets away from light pollution, would there
be any substantial difference in the quality of the aurorae
in, say, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau? (Or Canadian cities
at equivalent latitudes.)

You want to get away from the coast because of potentially obsuring cloudiness.

Also, if anyone has heard murmurs about astronomer-led trips
for solar max, let me know. I plan to keep an eye on the web-
sites of some astronomy and other scientific organizations,
but they so far only list trips up to 2009.

Get a copy of the Aurora Watcher's Handbook.
I loaned my copy out and never saw it again.

For some reason I've never seen auroras well in the lower 48.

The first time I saw the northern aurora was a Sept. a little more than
10 years ago when I lucked out and had a business trip to Fairbanks
where friends live. That was a Cray User Group meeting which stayed at
the Princess Cruises hotel which has an aurora number which will call
your room if they are particularly good. I stayed with my friends who
work at the Geophysical Institute of the UAF. Some of the people there
are the ones who study it. Their web site has been noted by others in
the thread.

I first saw it the weekend before our meeting flying up 4 hrs into the
Brooks helping my friends take their equipment out of a field site.
It appeared a thin wispy cloud in twilight. No discenible color.
Sept. isn't a great time to see color in an aurora.

Over the course of the week it was cloudy more than 1/2 the time.
It was visible in Fairbanks at times. People in the mtg. were happy to
see it, but I wasn't impressed.

So I came back on my own dime a couple of Decembers later on flyer miles.

That is a very different experience.

1) It's dark longer. 2hrs of day light.
2) It's considerably colder (last week the area around Fairbanks ranges
in lows from -40F to -60F.
3) Feb. is commonly cited as a good time to see aurora with color.
I had nice greens in December.
4) Glare might be a problem but I would not worry about it, a good
aurora will cut through glare. The most impressive display I had during
the period I was in Fairbanks happened when I drove over to North Pole
to drop X-mas cards off for the special Santa cancellation that post
office has. Coming back, the aurora stopped the traffic, people got out
of their cars (4 lanes). This is when I should have taken the photo
instead of outside my friend's various homes in outlying areas. That
trip was only -20F. I also should have dropped in on Bud Kuenzli who
used to post here. So the following year X-mas card were the aurora photos.
5) If I were going again to just see the aurora, I'd made a reservation
to stay at Chena Hot Springs a night or two.
6) To understand what it means to be -40F and colder, a friend's wife
teaches 3rd grade. The school system phones your home up to make
certain that kids aren't left home alone in case of power failure.
Other things: serious frostbite potential, square tires, block heaters
and electrical plugs every where.
7) Dinner at another friend's house had Will's wife say: "Wow, people do
come up here in winter for tourism!" And they were from Canadian originally.

8) They launch the aurora sounding rockets N at Poker Flat. Off the
Circle/Circle Hot Sprgs. road.
9) There is pipeline haul road traffic all the time. We're actually
looking at doing some work during winter up on the North Slope.

Transiting to get to Fairbanks in winter is also problematic.
Do spend a night and a full day in Anchorage. I've taken direct Seattle
to Fairbanks flts, but that transition can be too abrupt for a short trip.
Los Anchorage isn't anywhere near as cold as Fairbanks being near the sea.

I'm going to Norway and Iceland later this year with a bunch of long
time netters. And while I an expecting rain and clouds, I hope I get a
clear night to two. I did a prelim trip and that's when I met Dennis
who also posted on this thread on an 18 hr. stop in Juneau on the AK Ferry.

--

In article ,
Pieter wrote:

I did see them in the Fairbanks and Anchorage AK areas while visiting about
3 years ago in early September. As suggested below, winter is better in
terms of numbers of hours of darkness.

Oh, I certainly realize that. It's just that Fairbanks in February
has some downsides for those of us who are weather wimps. :-) Anyway,
from what some have said here, dead of winter is not necessarily the
most active time for aurorae.


Patty

In article 47c30033$1@darkstar, Eugene Miya wrote:

For some reason I've never seen auroras well in the lower 48.

The only one I ever saw in the Bay Area was in the 1950s. There have
been a few others supposedly visible here since then, but now one has
to get away from the metro areas where there's so much light pollution.

So I came back on my own dime a couple of Decembers later on flyer miles.

That is a very different experience.

1) It's dark longer. 2hrs of day light.
2) It's considerably colder (last week the area around Fairbanks ranges
in lows from -40F to -60F.

Thus making it a lot less pleasant to hang around outdoors! Although
I suppose an indoor location with good windows would suffice part of
the time. Not the same, though!

3) Feb. is commonly cited as a good time to see aurora with color.
I had nice greens in December.

Hmmm, interesting. I didn't realize that color intensity might not
correlate with frequency.


4) Glare might be a problem but I would not worry about it, a good
aurora will cut through glare. The most impressive display I had during
the period I was in Fairbanks happened when I drove over to North Pole
to drop X-mas cards off for the special Santa cancellation that post
office has.

That's a cute town. :-)


Coming back, the aurora stopped the traffic, people got out
of their cars (4 lanes).

Wow, that must have been something if it even made the locals stop
and take notice.

What year was this, Eugene? I'm curious to know whether it was near
the top of the solar cycle.


5) If I were going again to just see the aurora, I'd made a reservation
to stay at Chena Hot Springs a night or two.

That's out away from Fairbanks, right? I've heard of it.


Transiting to get to Fairbanks in winter is also problematic.

Are flights often delayed because of weather problems?


Do spend a night and a full day in Anchorage.

I should do that. I didn't get a look at the place last time I visited.
Just stayed overnight and got on the train in the morning. I'll research
the visitors' bureau site, but any suggestions from folks here about
what to see and do in Anchorage would also be welcome.


Patty

Patty,

My first ever Aurora I observed was from my own front yard located
just outside of Akron Ohio on March 23 1976.

Since moving to suburban Philadelphia in 1981 I have observed many
Aurorae from my own driveway.

If you live in the United States around 40 degrees N. Latitude you can
do it too!

Cost: in American dollars...Zero!

In article ,
Pieter wrote:

I have also been in Fairbanks at the end of June. The mosquitos are as big
as robins and there isn't much night to speak of. All things considered,
I'd rather do winter there....

Well, luckily, those aren't the only options!

Of course, I had already ruled out summer because of the short
nights.


Patty

Fairbanks at the end of June. The mosquitos are as big
as robins and there isn't much night to speak of. All things considered,
I'd rather do winter there....

In article ,
Patty Winter wrote:
Of course, I had already ruled out summer because of the short
nights.

What night?
Fairbanks? Night? June?

--

In article ,
Patty Winter wrote:
In article 47c30033$1@darkstar, Eugene Miya wrote:
For some reason I've never seen auroras well in the lower 48.

The only one I ever saw in the Bay Area was in the 1950s. There have
been a few others supposedly visible here since then, but now one has
to get away from the metro areas where there's so much light pollution.

The last time, several years back, at least 6-7 years, I was camping out
near the Carson Sink, and I heard that it was a dramatic red the next
when I was in Reno. Never saw it.


That is a very different experience.

1) It's dark longer. 2hrs of day light.
2) It's considerably colder (last week the area around Fairbanks ranges
in lows from -40F to -60F.

Thus making it a lot less pleasant to hang around outdoors! Although
I suppose an indoor location with good windows would suffice part of
the time. Not the same, though!

You have to have lights off and quad paned windows. Dual panes can
still fog.

My one very minor regret was not tossing a cup of hot water in the air
and having it freeze before it lands on the snow. You need to be well
clothed, but that's all doable. Especialy if done at the Hot Springs.


I just had I80 to myself (closed at Donner Pass). That was a more
hazardous experience.


3) Feb. is commonly cited as a good time to see aurora with color.
I had nice greens in December.

Hmmm, interesting. I didn't realize that color intensity might not
correlate with frequency.

Aurora Watchers Handbook.

4) Glare might be a problem but I would not worry about it, a good
aurora will cut through glare. The most impressive display I had during
the period I was in Fairbanks happened when I drove over to North Pole
to drop X-mas cards off for the special Santa cancellation that post
office has.

That's a cute town. :-)

North Pole tends to make the news once a year.
It is open other times (like when I was there in August, saw the only
moose the entire trip last time coming back).


Coming back, the aurora stopped the traffic, people got out
of their cars (4 lanes).

Wow, that must have been something if it even made the locals stop
and take notice.

What year was this, Eugene? I'm curious to know whether it was near
the top of the solar cycle.

December.
I was amazed at the glare from the near by base/Fort.
This was a green light (with reddish Mercury lights).

5) If I were going again to just see the aurora, I'd made a reservation
to stay at Chena Hot Springs a night or two.

That's out away from Fairbanks, right? I've heard of it.

It's about a 2 hour drive on a paved road. They have a web site.
I went just for a day soak.

Transiting to get to Fairbanks in winter is also problematic.

Are flights often delayed because of weather problems?

I've never had problems there with weather (IFR or VFR).
Airliner, ski plane, or float plane.

Do spend a night and a full day in Anchorage.

I should do that. I didn't get a look at the place last time I visited.
Just stayed overnight and got on the train in the morning. I'll research
the visitors' bureau site, but any suggestions from folks here about
what to see and do in Anchorage would also be welcome.

Oh, you did the summer AKRR? I finally did that a few years back.
Did see one bear from the train. They hire HS students to be guides up
to the half way point. One Fairbanks kid knew Bud K. (he wondered how a
stranger would know his HS bio teacher, and I noted the net).

I need to do that 1 winter. The problem is the turn around is less than
a day, and I want more than that or less than a week staying with
friends.

I also drove down to Seward. You clearly have to be careful driving
around winter time. Not all Los Anchorage is pretty in winter.

--