Saskatchewan sky watchers say conditions are perfect for 'extremely strong aurora' on Friday
Saskatchewan sky watchers say the conditions are perfect for a vibrant show of aurora borealis starting on Friday night.
Local members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) say by all indications the geomagnetic storm headed towards earth could potentially create one of the largest displays of aurora in history.
“Our sun is always active, but sometimes it becomes more active. And when it becomes more active, that's when we can get aurora,” said Ron Waldron, a Saskatoon-based member of the RASC and a retired public school teacher who now regularly travels to the north to teach groups about the phenomenon.
“Some solar activity produces things called coronal mass ejections, also known as a CME. And this week, several CMEs have erupted from the sun. Three or four to be exact. One of them was so strong, it literally caught up with the other three and has formed what's called a cannibal CME.”
When the solar plasma hurled from the sun collides with the earth’s magnetic field at the north and south poles, it causes the colourful aurora we see.
The ejections are coming from a giant sunspot — known by the not-so catchy title AR3664 — that was captured in a photo from Saskatoon on Thursday morning by Waldron’s fellow Saskatoon RASC member Mike Dolan:
Saskatoon sky watcher Mike Dolan took this image of the massive sunspot from Saskatoon on Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m., May 9, 2024. (Courtesy: Mike Dolan)
"Sprawling almost 200,000 km from end to end, AR3664 is 15 times wider than Earth. You can see it through ordinary eclipse glasses with no magnification at all," Dolan said.
Dolan says the sunspot now “rivals the great Carrington sunspot of 1859” in size.
“The strongest aurora ever recorded, historically, was the Carrington event of 1859,” said Waldron.
“Carrington, an English man, was monitoring the sun through a telescope, and all of a sudden there was this huge flash. And within a few hours, the world was seeing aurora everywhere, and he sketched the sun spot. He wasn't able to photograph it, but he sketched it. And the sketch of the sunspot is very, very close to what is on the sun right now," he said.
The types of geomagnetic storms caused by coronal ejections are measured on a scale from Kp0 to Kp9.
Waldron, who goes to Norway and northern Manitoba every year to teach people about the northern lights, says the strongest aurora he’s seen in his life has been a Kp7.
He says this weekend’s event is predicted to be a Kp8.
“An extremely strong aurora, Friday night, Saturday morning,” said Waldron.
Both Waldron and Dolan say they plan to be outside with their cameras pointing north on Friday night, waiting for the show — although there’s no guarantee it will happen. Aurora science is “not exact,” says Waldron.
With the moon just a sliver in the sky on Friday, it shouldn’t be casting too much light in the way, and if you head away from the city lights, you’ve got a better chance of seeing it.
“If you get out of the city, it’s always better, for sure.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.