The Northern Lights

Pippah45
Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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edited August 2016 in General Chat #1

I received an alert by email today from Aurora Watch to say we might be lucky tonight if we can find a bit of unpoluted sky to watch.  It is high on my bucket list and I would love to get up the courage to take the van to Norway to do it properly! 
Smile

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  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited August 2016 #2

    It's been changed Pippah. Someone disturbed the Magnetometer with a lawnmower. Not joking.

    Back to Green nowFrown

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited August 2016 #3

    Oh Poohsticks!  Undecided  I think I shall have to go for the real thing!

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited August 2016 #4

    Don't despair, I have seen them many times from not that much further north than Lincolnshire. (Yorkshire Dales)

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited August 2016 #5

    My son and I were going to take a trip that way last year for my 70th Birthday - but he had a baby instead - now Brexit has put a stop to him working here and he has had to move to the US - so one way or another its up to me!  An Autumn trip up North might
    be the way. 

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited August 2016 #6

    You can only hope Aurora Watch get it right but so often there is nothing to see.

    No point in giving you a ring because its usually in the early hours and seeing it here does not mean it's visible in Lincolnshire.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited August 2016 #7

    There's so much light pollution down here in the south east, you're lucky if you can see the plough. The aurora is on my bucket list too. Perhaps I should head north with P&O and get a double. Wink

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited August 2016 #8

    Did that a few years back, saw the midnight sun bounce back up off the horizon but the Northern Lights refused to play ball and we never saw them, even though we shifted position by a few degrees south.

  • HelenandTrevor
    HelenandTrevor Forum Participant Posts: 3,221
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    edited August 2016 #9

    Our youngest son and his girlfriend are off to Norway, next month, they might be lucky enough to see them.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited August 2016 #10

    Very little light pollution here on the moors, but I've never had a glimpse. High on my wish list though....

  • tombar
    tombar Forum Participant Posts: 408
    edited August 2016 #11

    SadI was hoping to head to Iceland on a city break to see them, but I took early retirement instead to look after OH, so I don't think I'll
    ever see them, even though they will remain on my bucket list

  • tombar
    tombar Forum Participant Posts: 408
    edited August 2016 #12

    ...on another note, I'm still waiting for my damn 5th red star.  That is also on my bucket list.  Seem to have been going on forever.  At this rate, I'll be 200 year old by the time I get my first purple starHappy

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited August 2016 #13

    TB, T/fish used to appear regularly on here crying foul at His lack of Purp, now He can be seen running down the corridors of HO clicking His heels & whooping with joy. Keep the faith Girl-it's on its wayHappy

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited August 2016 #14

    Very little light pollution here on the moors, but I've never had a glimpse. High on my wish list though....

    If you sign up to Aurorawatch and go out in the early hours after a red alert and look north, you will.

    Not every time but you will eventually from the Lancs moors. The Aurorawatch magnatometer is in Lancaster

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #15

    Friends on Orkney often get good views of the Northern Lights or you could try a trip to Canada!

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited August 2016 #16

    My second purple seems a very long time coming tombar!  I know the feeling.  Seems like there are a few ways to see them - I believe I could fly out of Humberside to try and take a look - but it would have to be on the right night!  A friend went on a special
    trip and didn't see them but said going dog sledging made up for the disappointment! 

  • Cherokee2015
    Cherokee2015 Forum Participant Posts: 392
    edited August 2016 #17

    It was also on my bucket list and I'm pleased to say that I saw them this year (Feb) by going on a two week cruise to the North Cape to celebrate our silver wedding.   They were spectacular and a definite 'to do' thing.    It was certainly a
    good way to see them from the middle of the sea - no light pollution there Wink

  • Cherokee2015
    Cherokee2015 Forum Participant Posts: 392
    edited August 2016 #18

    My second purple seems a very long time coming tombar!  I know the feeling.  Seems like there are a few ways to see them - I believe I could fly out of Humberside to try and take a look - but it would have to be on the right night!  A friend
    went on a special trip and didn't see them but said going dog sledging made up for the disappointment! 

    We also did dog sledding and it was fantastic - by pure chance we saw the lights at the same time
    Laughing

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited August 2016 #19

    Just seen on the news a picture of the lights from last night, 15 miles up the road from me!

    It seems despite the retraction of the Red alert from Aurora Watch there was an event last night. Arrgh!

  • Nuggy
    Nuggy Forum Participant Posts: 512
    edited August 2016 #20

    It's been changed Pippah. Someone disturbed the Magnetometer with a lawnmower. Not joking.

    Back to Green nowFrown

    Write your comments here...Was this "cutting edge" technology?

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #21

    My girlfriemd paid a quite ridiculous amount for a trip to Iceland to see the Northens Lights.  We saw nothing at all.  The guarantee that we would see something amounted to the bus trip out of the light polution being repeated for free until we did see
    something - however we have to pay our own trip back to Iceland to do this.

    Also the most expensive place in the world to buy beer - and they make their own up there.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited August 2016 #22

    It was also on my bucket list and I'm pleased to say that I saw them this year (Feb) by going on a two week cruise to the North Cape to celebrate our silver wedding.   They were spectacular and a definite 'to do' thing.    It was certainly a
    good way to see them from the middle of the sea - no light pollution there Wink

    Are you kidding? Cruise ships are lit up like Christmas trees.

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited August 2016 #23

    Do they turn off some lights for the big event? 

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited August 2016 #24

    My girlfriemd paid a quite ridiculous amount for a trip to Iceland to see the Northens Lights.  We saw nothing at all.  The guarantee that we would see something amounted to the bus trip out of the light polution being repeated for free until we did see something - however we have to pay our own trip back to Iceland to do this.

    Also the most expensive place in the world to buy beer - and they make their own up there.

    Ditto my partner and me on a 3 day trip to Iceland in March 2014. Stood for hours in a frozen field for two nights and saw nothing. At breakfast on the last day a waiter told us that they had been seen from Essex.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #25

    here

    A lawn mower sparked the latest false alert!

  • Cherokee2015
    Cherokee2015 Forum Participant Posts: 392
    edited August 2016 #26

    D

    Do they turn off some lights for the big event? 

    Yes and they also wake you up in the night

    o they turn off some lights for the bigevent

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited August 2016 #27

    here

    A lawn mower sparked the latest false alert!

    See post number 2.Cool

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #28

    Oops, should have gone to specsavers! Wink

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