[gse-aa] Auroral Alert

[Charles Deehr]

There was a solar flare on the 16th of June.  The shock from this flare
should reach about midnight on the 17th GMT.  This means that the
distortion in the solar wind that leads to auroral activity should occur
during the night over the USA.  This prediction may be as much as 10
hours off, but it would be worth it to check the northern sky tonight if
you live in the northern half of the US.

There is a movie of the simulation of this shock at
http://gse.gi.alaska.edu/recent/javascript_movie.html.
Note that the flare is on the eastern limb of the sun and it is only the
western flank of the shock that will hit Earth, but there is also a high
speed stream in the solar wind that may add to the effect.

If you are interested in seeing the other plots we use to watch the
solar effects approach Earth, Venus, Mars and Jupiter, go to 
http://gse.gi.alaska.edu/recent/



Dr. Charles Deehr, Prof. Emer. Phys.     Ph. 907 474 7473 Fax 907 474
7290 email cdeehr at gi.alaska.edu
The Geophysical Institute                     
University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Ave N             
Fairbanks, Alaska  99775-7320