<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:p="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:powerpoint" xmlns:a="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:access" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:s="uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882" xmlns:rs="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset" xmlns:z="#RowsetSchema" xmlns:b="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:publisher" xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" xmlns:c="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:component:spreadsheet" xmlns:odc="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:odc" xmlns:oa="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:activation" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:q="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:rtc="http://microsoft.com/officenet/conferencing" xmlns:D="DAV:" xmlns:Repl="http://schemas.microsoft.com/repl/" xmlns:mt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/meetings/" xmlns:x2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2003/xml" xmlns:ppda="http://www.passport.com/NameSpace.xsd" xmlns:ois="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/ois/" xmlns:dir="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/directory/" xmlns:ds="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" xmlns:dsp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dsp" xmlns:udc="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:sub="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/2002/1/alerts/" xmlns:ec="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#" xmlns:sp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" xmlns:sps="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:udcs="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/soap" xmlns:udcxf="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/xmlfile" xmlns:udcp2p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/parttopart" xmlns:st="" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:ns0="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/workflow/" xmlns:ns1="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig-setup" xmlns:ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig" xmlns:ns3="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/digital-signature" xmlns:ns4="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" xmlns:ns5="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns:ns6="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationships" xmlns:ns7="http://microsoft.com/sharepoint/webpartpages" xmlns:ns8="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:ns9="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:ns10="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/SlideLibrary/" xmlns:ns11="http://microsoft.com/webservices/SharePointPortalServer/PublishedLinksService" xmlns:ns12="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> The simple answer is: it depends.  Despite the amazing video this wasn’t a particularly huge CME.  It was an M-2 flare that wasn’t pointed directly at the Earth, although we will get a glancing blow (that ‘M-2’ is part of a logarithmic scale that determines the energy of a flare.  It goes M1, M2…M9. X0. X1, X2… where X2 is ten times as powerful as an M-2. The nice auroras we saw in YNP during the last solar max often came from flares in the X2-X4 size).<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> But it’s still possible.  Check this site: - <a href="http://www.spacew.com/">www.spacew.com</a>, and see the Bz and Bt graph on the right.  The Bz (a magnetic field reading) must be strongly south for us to see aurora.  And check the K index, seen on the left menu item “Latest Hourly Indices”  If it’s 7 or higher then it’s possible to see aurora.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> If you go outside at OF and wait for your eyes to adjust, look to the northern horizon.  If there is a glow there that looks like a city over the ridge (and the moon isn’t up) then you’re seeing a nascent auroral glow.  It might develop into discrete rays or something far grander.  Or it might just peter out to nothing.  It’s always worth a look.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> For those with cell phones in YNP you can get a solar activity update at 303-497-3235.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Paul<o:p></o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: geysers-bounces@lists.wallawalla.edu [mailto:geysers-bounces@lists.wallawalla.edu] On Behalf Of Freund, Udo Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 12:58 PM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Geyser Observation Reports</st1:PersonName> Subject: [Geysers] <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Auroras</st1:place></st1:City> in YNP tonight or tomorrow?<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> NASA announced this afternoon that a solar eruption involved an M2 (medium-sized) solar flare, an S1-class (minor) radiation storm, and a spectacular coronal mass ejection (CME) from sunspot complex 1226-1227. After ballooning high above the Sun, the large cloud of matter rained back down onto an area covering almost half the solar disk.  There is a video @ URL <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/123377553.html">http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/123377553.html</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The CME should deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of June 8th or 9th. High-latitude skywatchers should be alert for auroras when the CME arrives.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Will auroras be visible from <st1:place w:st="on">Yellowstone</st1:place>?  Let us know, please, if you see them.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Thanks, Udo Freund "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." --Will Rogers <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>