Geomagnetic alert (4 November)

The Australian IPS has now  issued a G1 storm alert, as has the  NOAA site . There is a prediction for G2 storms later this evening/early tomorrow morning. Geomagnetic conditions will probably fluctuate as they did last night.  Currently Velocity: 686 km/sec Bz: -5.0 nT Density = 3.0 p/cc , Kindex currently 5 overall and 6 for the Launceston magnetometer. It is likely that there will be bursts of auroral activity during the night as the solar wind polarity reverses.

Last night, when there were breaks in the cloud, impressive aurora displays were seen in Tasmania and southern Victoria (Wilson’s prom showed excellent colour) between 11:30 pm and 12:30 am on the 4th, with smaller displays before and after. Sadly, like last night, the weather over most of Southern Australia is rubbish at the moment. Still, if there are breaks in the cloud go out and have a look.

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 were obvious, along with a “picket fence” last night) and a large green “blob” has been seen.

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 ALERT
ISSUED AT 0750 UT ON 04 NOV 2015 BY IPS RADIO AND SPACE SERVICES
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE

MINOR (G1 – MINOR) GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE IN PROGRESS (K OF 5 REACHED)
PRELIMINARY AUSTRALIAN REGION K INDICES FOR 04 11 15: 345- —-

FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF THIS EVENT ON THE IPS SPACE WEATHER STATUS PANEL,
HTTP://WWW.IPS.GOV.AU > SPACE WEATHER