Skies are expected to be partly cloudy this evening and mostly cloudy after midnight as the humidity level increases. Temperatures will hold in the mid-to-upper 60s by late tonight. I had lunch with Rao this past Wednesday while attending a media seminar at Cablevision's corporate headquarters in Bethpage, New York. I have always admired the passion he has for Science, particularly meteorology and astronomy.
Rao told me that analysts at the Space Weather Lab say the cloud of subatomic material should reach Earth sometime today. The impact on the Earth is likely to be major. The estimated maximum geomagnetic activity index level is high, and that means we might be treated to a nice display of the Northern Lights tonight.
Here's a view of the coronal mass ejection: http://www.spaceweather.com/images2011/04aug11/cme_04aug11.gif?PHPSESSID=23sunmi35tu90un6vtis53hfd7.
According to Rao, as soon as it gets dark tonight, just scan the sky, especially toward the North. If there is an aurora in progress you'll know immediately because it can appear as bright moving rays or curtains waving in a breeze. Obviously, the farther away you can get from bright city lights, the better your chances of seeing any activity. The colors are usually whitish, but aquamarine and reds can also appear as well.
However, Rao cautions that we might see nothing more than an amorphous band of light sitting just above the northern horizon. It all depends on how energetic the cloud of particles shot from the Sun interacts with the Earth's magnetic field. These particles do not head directly for the Earth's magnetic poles. They actually hit the radiation belts which encircle the Earth near the equator.
Let's hope Mother Nature gives us this unique opportunity. I know I'll be watching.
Paul
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