Aurora Alert! Geomagnetic Disturbance Warning (2-3 November)

The Australian IPS has issued a Geomagnetic Disturbance Warning for possible major storms and the NOAA site has a predicted G3 storm from a fast moving solar wind stream from a coronal hole that produced G3 storms in early October 7-8. The arrival of the solar wind stream will be anywhere between the morning of the 2nd of the morning of the 3rd Australian time (it might even arrive early on the evening of the 1st). Given the bounty of aurora from the last visitation of this hole, there is a strong possibility we will get unaided eye visible aurora in both Tasmania and the Southern mainland.

Evening skies are clear of the Moon, and the waning Moon will interfere on the mornings of  2nd and 3rd, but not as much as the Full moon.

Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.

As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora and a large green “blob” has been seen.

If you are up early on the morning of the 2nd and 3rd, you can see a beautiful line-up of bright planets – Jupiter, Venus and Mars with Venus and Mars are at their closest on the 3rd. After this the waning Moon joins the line-up, on on Saturday 7 Nov an Sunday 8 Nov the crescent Moon is close to Jupiter and Venus respectively, indeed on the 8th you can use the crescent Moon to see Venus in the daylight. More details here. http://astroblogger.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/the-planet-dance-continues-venus-and.html
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.  

The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy may be helpful.
http://www.ips.gov.au/Geophysical/4/2>

SUBJ: IPS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 15/49
ISSUED AT 2257UT/31 OCTOBER 2015
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.

Elevated geomagnetic activity expected due to a recurrent coronal
hole high speed wind stream

INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL HOLE HIGH SPEED WIND STREAM
FROM 02-04 NOVEMBER 2015
_____________________________________________________________

GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
02 Nov:  Unsettled to Major Storm
03 Nov:  Unsettled to Minor Storm
04 Nov:  Unsettled to Minor Storm

Further monitoring at
http://www.ips.gov.au