October 24 Wild Aurora Display

Didn't have to go very far this one...all the way out into the driveway.  I had heard there was a CME which hit the earth's magnetic field earlier in the day but didn't think too much of it as it wasn't supposed to be very strong and it was cloudy out.  Michael Youkum had sent me a text as I was leaving work asking my thoughts on what was going to come once the sun set but the clouds really had me pessimistic.  About 8:00 Steve Yezek from northern  Iowa called to tell me he could see a green ribbon above the horizon.  I still didn't think the viewing was even worth worrying about.  5  minutes or so later ,Tyler Burg sent me a text telling me he could see them in Lincoln, NE and the Bz was -10.  OK, fine.  I'll check the infrared sat images.  Holy heck...there was a hole in the cloud deck.  Checked the space weather conditions and the Bz was -17.1!!  I went outside at 8:15 and looked around the corner of the garage to the northern horizon.  "HOLY CRAP" I whispered as  I tipped my head back and looked straight up!  Wild green and red pillars reaching all the way overhead and even to the south!   I knew right away this was no regular northern lights display.  The auroral ring was directly over us!  Melinda came out and joined me as I scrambled to get a cam and tripod set up  in the front yard.  I ran across the street to the neighbors and had them bring their kids out to see the crazy display.    I called Tyler to offer up a quick "thanks" for the heads up then called  Dick McGowan down in Kansas.  As soon as he answered the phone, I asked him what state he was in.  He screeched "Kansas".  I knew by the tone of his voice he could see them all the way down there!  Doug Kiesling called next and wanted to know where I was.  "My driveway."  The show was very fast.  Maybe 5-7 minutes of really intense activity.  Reports on FB started to come in of  sightings in Missouri, then Arkansas, then Oklahoma, then Texas and New Mexico!  What a crazy display!  All shots are at 11mm looking straight up!  Nikon D200 Tonika 11-16 f2.8 lens

I don't recall ever seeing orange auroras in my life.

As the storm started to subside, for several minutes a gentle flow of reds and greens traveled overhead from northwest to southeast.

As the storm really weakened, the cloud deck moved back in from the north ending our viewing.    It was really exciting to start seeing all of the images coming in from other observers (especially in the far south)!  Best show in many, many years even if the best stuff lasted less than 10 minutes.  Be sure to check out the images from Brian Emfinger (Arkansas), Scott Weberpal (Wisconsin), Steve Yezek (Iowa), Mike Hollingshead (Nebraska), Tyler Burg (Nebraska), and Dick McGowan (Kansas - when he gets them done).

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