aurora tips

Was talking with Rhonda about aurora.

She was a little disappointed at not seeing anything lately, despite hoopla in the media, and legitimately strong indicators.

Frank clarified some things for me recently. You want a few factors aligned nicely to improve chances of seeing aurora in southern Ontario, assuming clear skies, obviously:

1. kp-index 5 or higher
2. Bz value negative 
3. solar wind speeds >= 500 km/s 

I reminded her that the Sun is active now and is on the upswing. In fact, activity is trending above the expected levels. The next 5 years or so should be good.