[AT] OT for the northern guys

[Charlie V]

I have never been able to see them from this location South of Lake
Ontario.  I believe that is partly due to the metropolitan area North
of here.  Of the twenty crow miles from here to the Ontario shore
line, approximately ten of it is metropolitan.  Often at night the
lower quadrant of our northern sky will be lighted from reflection of
the "city lights".  I think Ralph gets a good look at them from his
location.

I looked out at the back yard one evening about a week ago and
wondered why it was lighted almost like daylight on the snow (no
moon).  I ultimately decided the athletic field lights at the school
must be on.  That is about one half mile away and not visible on a
direct line of sight.  Being very cold, the lights must have been
transmitting here by means of the ice particles in the very cold air.
The word prism comes to mind.  In New york out school fields are
better lit than Yankee Stadium because we only think green when it
involves the activity of someone else.  I checked again after ten PM
and sure nuff, it was dark out back then.  Interesting situation
anyhow.

Charlie V.

On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 7:24 AM, charlie hill
<charliehill at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Are any of our northern US members or Mattias seeing the Northern Lights
> these days?
>
> I understand there is a lot of sun spot activity and that the auroras are
> highly visible.
>
> When I was a small boy I remember my mother taking my sister and I outside
> late on a
> cold night to see the "northern lights".  That was here in coastal NC.  It's
> extremely unusual
> for them to be visible here.   Thinking back on it I wonder how she knew
> about them.   Back then
> we had one or two TV stations that you could see through the static if you
> even had a TV set and
> I'm not sure we did at that time.  Or you could listen to a table top AM-FM
> radio if a signal could
> be pulled in.   I don't know, maybe it was a power line shorting out in the
> distance and she just thought
> it was the northern lights.  grins.
>
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