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11-16-2009, 01:55 PM
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#1
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Ready-to-Travel
2012 30' International
Walkerton
, Virginia
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,168
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Seeing the Aurora Borealis
Page and I want to see an aurora. I realize that it would likely not be an Airstreaming activity, though, so I figure that it is as off-topic as you can get.
Can any of our Northern members offer any ideas? I have enough airmiles and some hotel bennies that could make the trip fairly inexpensive. And we have the time - a week max, though (after all, how long can us southerners sit around and wait for weather to cooperate?) But I want to have a good bet that the trip would be successful.
So what do you think?
Pat
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11-16-2009, 03:36 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
1971 25' Tradewind
1993 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Estancia
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,743
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I have seen northern lights in upstate NY. But the further north you get the better they get.
__________________
Sail on silver girl. Sail on by. Your time has come to shine.
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11-16-2009, 03:53 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1967 22' Safari
1960 Caravel
Edmonds
, Washington
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,499
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I have seen them a few times while growing up in MT. I'll never forget it.
Here are some geek links. Northern Hemisphere Enlarged View.
The Geophysical Institute Auroral Forecast Page.
Timing is everything.
__________________
Lee
1973 F-250 4X4 390
1965 Chevy Suburban 454
AIR 6030
WBCCI 4258
TCT
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11-16-2009, 04:00 PM
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#4
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4 Rivet Member
2004 30' Classic Slideout
Between Here
, And There
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 379
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Northern Lights
Kenora, Ontario is a great place to view the Northern Lights. I used to fish Lake of the Woods in late September to early October and can't remember a time that there was not a spectacular show.
I also used to fly a route from the U.S to Europe on a regular basis. Would usually depart the U.S. at 1800 local time to arrive Frankfurt at 0800 local. When we would drift out over the North Atlantic the Northern Lights would zig and zag across the horizon for hours.
If you get a chance there used to be reasonable flights from JFK to Iceland in the winter. Do a quick round trip and you can see the Northern Lights and spend some time in one of the geothermal baths while in Iceland.
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11-16-2009, 04:30 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master
1978 29' Ambassador
Walnut Cove
, North Carolina
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 519
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Thanks for asking this question-its on our bucket list and we have looked into going to Alaska but the cost puts it out of reach.
__________________
Dannie
The Silver Queen
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11-16-2009, 04:47 PM
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#6
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3 Rivet Member
1994 21' Sovereign
Tucson
, Arizona
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 175
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I've seen the Aurora as far south as the Grand Canyon during a hiking trip in April '89. Your best chance is around the Equinoxes, and near or within a couple of years after the peak of the 11 year sunspot cycle. The next peak should be 2010-2011, so perhaps a trip to Iceland or Alaska in the spring or fall would be in your best bet.
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11-16-2009, 05:03 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
1960 28' Ambassador
Vintage Kin Owner
1998 25' Safari
Avonton
, Ontario
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,331
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We used to live in Walkerton, Ontario and say the lights quite often. We're now near Stratford, Ontario and see them less ofter. The best we ever saw was in Wiarton, Ontario in October a few years ago, the whole sky lit up.
__________________
Doug & Terry
VAC - TAC ON-1
60 Ambassador Int.
1950 Spartan
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11-16-2009, 05:28 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
1984 31' Airstream310
Ajo
, Arizona
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,649
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Here's one .
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11-16-2009, 06:17 PM
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#9
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Addicted to Aluminum
1959 18' "Footer"
1964 24' Tradewind
1954 29' Liner
Woodstock
, Georgia
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,015
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I'm putting that on my bucket list, too.
:-)
JP
__________________
• • • • • • • • 8576 • • • • • • • •
there's always room for one more!
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11-16-2009, 06:21 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1971 25' Tradewind
1993 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Estancia
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,743
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Heads Up
Newsguy says Leonid Meteor Shower 12am- 4am for the next few days.
Back in the Summer Of Love I saw all kinds of lights.
__________________
Sail on silver girl. Sail on by. Your time has come to shine.
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11-16-2009, 06:29 PM
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#11
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
1984 31' Airstream310
Ajo
, Arizona
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,649
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Leary
Here's one .
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-31 below, as I recall.
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11-16-2009, 06:59 PM
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#12
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Master of Universe
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Grand Junction
, Colorado
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 12,711
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The first time I saw them was in the mid 1950's in NYC! If you could see them there, they must have been incredible intense because you can't see the Milky Way there.
In 2006 we traveled to Yellowknife, NWT, in mid September, and drove about 20 miles north of town to get away from the lights around 2 am and watched them for about an hour. I wish we had brought chairs because standing looking up that long means a sore neck. Later that month we were in Eagle Plains, Yukon, on the way to Inuvik, NWT, and saw them again. It's a hit and miss thing and sure messes up sleep.
Yellowknife is an area where you can see them further south than Alaska.
Going to see them in the spring means very little night the closer you get to June.
There are websites with predictions of when and where to see them.
They are amazing even in the fall, but the best time is said to be mid winter, though -31˚ is kind of chilly, but no mosquitos.
Gene
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11-16-2009, 07:11 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master
1972 31' Sovereign
Lexington
, Minnesota
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,991
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We see them here in Minnesota occasionally (Northern part of the state and as far south as the Twin Cities), but I wouldn’t bet the expense of a trip coming here just to see them. The colors I’ve seen range from white to a bright green, and can range in size from a fairly small spot in the northern sky to covering the entire sky overhead. Seen them while camping in the spring, summer, and fall, and from home in the winter. Always a treat when they decide to put on a display.
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11-16-2009, 07:46 PM
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#14
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Rivet Master
2002 19' Bambi
Northwestern Ontario
, - on the backside of the map and just above the big green spot
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 819
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This might help you out:
Aurora Borealis Activity Now. Here's Everything You Need to know.
Wikopedia also has a detailed discussion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)
... and yes - it can easily be an Airstreaming activity - get the right time of year and the right night, find yourself a northern campground (relative terms) that is away from the city, pick a lakeside site that faces north, bundle up and enjoy the show ...
Jay
__________________
Bambi - 2002 (The Toaster)
Pathfinder - 2009 (The Buggy)
"I'm not young enough to know everything ....."
(Oscar Wilde)
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11-16-2009, 08:33 PM
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#15
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2 Rivet Member
1975 31' Excella 500
Amherst
, Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 60
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We've Had Them in VA...
I had the great priviledge of seeing an amazing Aurora five years ago this month. I was dating a guy up in Loudon County in northern Virginia, and it was the first week of November on a cold, clear night. My elderly, blind dog had wandered off and we were outside at midnight beating the bushes for Bo-Bo when the sky suddenly started it's own light show . It was simply phenomenal and definitely ranks high on my list of favorte happenings, right up there with seeing the Grand Canyon. The colors were so brilliant that I fear pictures would have looked fake. I was surprised at how many purples, golds, greens, and hot pinks were in the color spectrum, as I had always expected ti to be more about white/yellow streaks, but on that particular night/temp/atmosphere, the purples were outstanding! We saw them for about two hours and then i had to drive home for work the next day...but by then they were trailing off. The really intense stage ony lasted about 90 minutes....and reminded em of a sldie show where hte slides "fade in" and then "fade out" in rapid succession.
For a couple of years I glued to the Internet chasing Aurora's, trying to duplicate the experience. I would sit up all night in various locations hoping to see one again, but it has not happened. Now I am of the mind that they can't be predicted too well, and that if ya luck into one, you are a very lucky person!
Poor Bo-Bo was not found until the next morning, hung up in a briar bush and none too happy, but I certainly had a remarkable evening!
__________________
Susan & Rick in Virginia (OBXGal)
1975 Airstream Excella 500 31'
2005 Sun Cruiser Fun Finder X139-FK 13'
1978 Hilltopper Popup (really stanky)
Picturetrail.com/sdsteele
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11-16-2009, 08:44 PM
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#16
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4 Rivet Member
1964 22' Safari
Eagle River
, Alaska
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 251
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WHOaaaaa
Come on up. It's amazing, and never taken for granted.
My first whoaa moment was while taking off piloting Cessna (aluminum, duh) out of Fairbanks at night. MrsSafari and I both spotted it at same time and WHooooooaaaaaa! That's cool!!!
We can see the lights and Russia from our back yard.
Ya gotts to see this!
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11-16-2009, 09:43 PM
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#17
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Rivet Master
1978 31' Excella 500
Genoa
, Nevada
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,554
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Seems that the Aurora also seems to coincide with COLD. Get north in the cold months, get to a dark sky (meaning no city to light up the night), get on your cold weather gear, get outside.
__________________
I admit to being powerless over housecleaning and social niceities
Airforums 22655 and now, WBCCI 22655
NevadaGeo
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11-16-2009, 11:30 PM
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#18
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4slice
1977 31' Sovereign
Chase
, British Columbia
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 68
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Like Safari64, I have had a few "whoaa" moments in northern BC (54 degrees latitude)when I used to do rural patrols in the hinterland--no city lights and often moonless so it was pitch black in every direction, except for the awesome light shows in the sky. The bands of color can really move fast, and they were just like the photo provided above, by Mike Leary. Even when the northern lights weren't showing, the intensity of the stars and the bands of the Milky Way were beyond belief!
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11-17-2009, 06:12 AM
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#19
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3 Rivet Member
2004 25' Safari
1971 27' Overlander
1957 22' Caravanner
Jourdanton
, Texas
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 215
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The lights have been seen as far south as Davis Mts. in Texas. It was an extraordinary sunspot activity year. Alaska in the summer is not a good time to see lights...not enough dark. We saw an interesting display out over Lake Huron from Brights Grove, Ontario, but I still have not seen the "shimmering curtains" type of display.
Paula
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11-17-2009, 06:24 AM
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#20
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4 Rivet Member
1977 25' Tradewind
Waskesiu Lake
, Saskatchewan
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 394
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We see them regularly in the winter and we are at 53 degrees N Latitude (Canada/US border is at 49 N Lat).
One trip that people might consider is flying to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and then taking the train north to Churchill, MB. On that trip you could see both the Aurora Borealis AND polar bears! It's a popular destination.
__________________
Every home needs a dog, and every dog needs a home.
1977 25' Tradewind (with two ... three... FOUR dogs)
2011 Ram 1500 Quad cab, 5.7 Hemi, tow pkg.
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