Full Sky Alberta Aurora Possible March 22
55% probability of Full Sky Alberta Aurora Mar 22 +/-24hrs
Cause: Fast moving Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) associated with the March 21 M1.4 solar flare.
Unsettled to active conditions are expected, with a chance for G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storming periods, for the remainder of 22 Mar. Isolated G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storming is likely on 23 Mar due to the arrival of a fast, but faint CME that left the Sun on 21 Mar. G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storming is likely on 24 Mar as lingering CME and negative polarity CH HSS effects wane..
What can we expect?
G3 Aurora can fill the entire sky over Alberta, and at times may be visible only in the southern part of our sky.
Aurora could be visible during the evening of Dec 30/ morning of Dec 31
What happened?
A solar flare from December 29 sent a coronal mass ejection toward Earth.
This CME is anticipated to begin arriving in the sometime in the evening of Dec 30.
If this CME interacts with Earth favourably, this could result in a very strong Aurora visible across Alberta.
Tips for observing Aurora from Alberta
Aurora is typically strongest in the hours around Midnight
An event such as this could be visible in the northern skies shortly after dusk
If possible, head outside of the city
Even if Aurora is visible within the city, colours will be most vibrant away from city lights
Don't park on the sides of highways, this is dangerous and illegal.
Use a location with a public parking lot (rural community halls and provincial parks offer great parking options)
Stay off of private property
There could be a lot of observers on the roads, so drive safely and watch out for others
Photography tips
Use a tripod, or some means to stabilize your camera/phone
If possible, set your camera to Manual
Aperture: lowest possible value
ISO: middle of the camera's range
Shutter: 5 to 30 seconds, depending on brightness of results
Use a distant point of light to manually focus the camera
Newer phones (iPhone, Android)Â
Use Night Mode
Older iPhones
Use the NightCap App and the Manual tips above
Older Android
Use Pro Mode, and the Manual tips above
Expectations
Full Sky (KP7 or greater) Aurora can be 100's of kms long over Alberta, can often be seen throughout the province, and possibly from within urban areas.
Locations: anywhere in Alberta with clear skies
Edmonton Latitudes
KP4 can be seen halfway up the northern sky, approaching overhead
KP5/G1 can be seen overhead
KP6/G2 and greater can be seen across the full sky and possibly under urban skies
KP7/G3 and greater can be seen across the full sky and possibly under urban skies
Calgary Latitudes
KP4 can be halfway up the northern sky
KP5/G1 can approach overhead
KP6/G2 and greater can be seen across the full sky and possibly under urban skies
KP7/G3 and greater can be seen across the full sky and possibly under urban skies
In the Mountains
KP4 Aurora may not be high enough to be visible over the mountains
KP5/G1 can peek over the mountain tops
KP6/G2 and greater can be seen across the full sky and possibly under urban skies
KP7/G3 and greater can be seen across the full sky and possibly under urban skies
Lethbridge Latitudes
KP4 Aurora may be visible on the northern horizon
KP5/G1 can can be halfway up the northern sky
KP6/G2 and greater can be seen overhead
KP7/G3 and greater can be seen across the full sky and possibly under urban skies
Etiquette
If you're in an area with a lot of people, there will be cars with headlights on; don't let it upset you.
If you're parking in a place with a lot of people, try to turn your headlights off if possible
Drive carefully, park your car fully off the road
Stay off of private property
Forecast sources
https://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-geomag-forecast.txt
https://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/discussion.txt
SpaceWeatherLive