Typical Really .. (Auroras 9 March and possibily 11 March)

While I was at WOMADelaide watching the Master Drummers of Burundi, the IPS sent out an aurora alert, while I was watching an iridium flare over The Picture Box Orchestra, the Kp Index went to 7.6, and while I was tucking SmallestOne in to bed the first aurora were being reported from Tasmania.

In the end, faint aurora were reported as far away as Perth, although Moonlight and cloud interfered from most locations. To compensate for my lack of warning here’s some Aurora photo-albums:
Shevil Mathers, Tasmania:
https://plus.google.com/photos/109921669020426367250/albums/5717880870845033025?banner=pwa
Russell Cockman, Bayside Melbourne:
http://www.russellsastronomy.com/aurora/09032012.htm
A video of aurora from Ian Stewart of Tasmania
http://vimeo.com/38224262
Roger Groom, Perth:
http://www.rogergroom.com/items/aurora_australis_march_2012_perth
And SpaceWeather has lots of images:
http://www.spaceweather.com/

As well, Sunspot 1429 fired off a strong M6 class eruption, while not as strong as the X5, this one is aimed directly at us, so this could also fire off arura, with the Moon waning we should have a better chance of seeing aurora. The coronal mass ejection should hit us March 11 at 0649 UT (+/- 7 hr), for Australia this is anywhere between 11 am AEDST the 11th to 1 am the 12.

The IPS has forecast storms for the 11th, so keep an eye on the Kp index over that the IPS solar weather site: http://www.ips.gov.au/Space_Weather

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