ELENIN ALIGNMENTS MIXING IT UP WITH THE SUN

Wow - I guess my Brother-in-Law was right. This latest minor Elenin alignment with some other planets would cause the sun to really spit out some material. I have never witnessed Northern Lights in Washington. The last minor alignment on July 7th caused the same kind of thing. The weather did not cooperate that time around either.

Hope I get a nice glimpse of this tonight:

If skies cooperate, we could see Northern Lights tonight

The Northern Lights could dance in the sky above Seattle tonight and Saturday night, as charged particles hurtling through space from recent eruptions on the sun crash into the Earth's atmosphere.

By Amy Harris

Seattle Times staff reporter

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In this 2004 file photo, the Northern Lights were visible in the Seattle sky at Hamilton Viewpoint in West Seattle.
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JAMES BRANAMAN

In this 2004 file photo, the Northern Lights were visible in the Seattle sky at Hamilton Viewpoint in West Seattle.

The aurora borealis as viewed from Golden Gardens Park in Seattle in 2004.
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FRED NELSON / THE SEATTLE TIMES

The aurora borealis as viewed from Golden Gardens Park in Seattle in 2004.

In this 2004 file photo, the Northern Lights shimmered above the Puget Sound region. This view was from Hamilton Viewpoint in West Seattle.
Enlarge this photo

JAMES BRANAMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

In this 2004 file photo, the Northern Lights shimmered above the Puget Sound region. This view was from Hamilton Viewpoint in West Seattle.

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quotes why does it seem that anytime their is any kind celestial event we can possibly see... (August 5, 2011, by sarkheisel) Read more
quotes Should the cloud cover leave... I suppose we might. (August 5, 2011, by EveryNevers) Read more
quotes If skies cooperate, we could see Northern Lights tonight because of the solar flares. (August 5, 2011, by Cobra478) Read more
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There's a good chance the Northern Lights will dance in the sky above Seattle tonight and Saturday night, as charged particles hurtling through space from recent eruptions on the sun crash into the Earth's upper atmosphere.

The National Weather Service was predicting considerable cloud cover in Seattle both nights, but meteorologists say that if you can find a clear spot and get away from the city lights, you may be able to view the greenish glow or faint red lights along the northern horizon.

The earth's magnetic field is about to become stirred up pretty good," said Joe Kunches, space scientist for NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. "It may well be possible to see the auroras throughout the northern U.S. and down to the middle part of the U.S."

Kunches said that two types of atmospheric eruptions have flared up on the sun since Tuesday: solar flares, which act like lightning strikes that quickly disturb the atmosphere, and coronal eruptions, where parts of the sun's outer atmosphere get blown off.

The matter spewed from the sun is charged with protons and electrons that travel millions of miles through the galaxy until they hit the earth's magnetic field, creating an aurora.

The aurora borealis — or Northern Lights — were named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek word for the northern wind, Borea.

"It's kind of like a neon sign," said Kunches.

Mike McCarthy, a research professor in the University of Washington's Earth and Space Sciences department, saw his first aurora — a light green flickering overhead — in Thompson, Manitoba, an old nickel-mining town, on a frigid March night decades ago.

"It was so cold that it was hard to watch," he said, "but it was such an amazing sight that you couldn't look away."

Midnight is typically the best time to view the Northern Lights, but this aurora could be visible just after sunset tonight and continue until after midnight, Kunches said. The moon is currently in its first quarter, which means that the sky is not too bright, but clouds are expected both evenings.

"It's all dependent on local weather, so a lot of the time if you can't see higher than 500 feet, you'll miss the most brilliant aurora because of the clouds," Kunches said.