For anyone interested, the aurora is predicted to make an appearance tonight or tomorrow night. Earlier this week the largest sunspot in years was discovered, suggesting a mass-emission solar flare (yes, yes, "mass-emission," quit giggling you pervs!). To give you an idea of the volume of solar matter ejected; the sun spot is estimated at 50,000 miles long and 25,000 miles wide, and could easily fit the earth inside it eighteen times over. Whoa!
Auroral forecast is incredibly subjective and depends on a lot of factors so there's always the risk for disappointment, but if it decides to drop by it should be spectacular. If you happen to miss it this time there will be other chances. 2011/2012 marks the end of a typical eleven year solar cycle, the ends of which produce a lot of flares - and it's thought that this "cycle-finale" is particularly active. Look up.
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