P3D aurora warning

[Bob Wier <wier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Time for another stereo photo aurora opportunity... here's the 
scoop...
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AURORAL ACTIVITY MAY BE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF A LINE FROM...

        NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO NORTHERN UTAH TO NORTHERN COLORADO TO NORTHERN
        KANSAS TO MISSOURI TO KENTUCKY AND POSSIBLY NORTHERN TENNESSEE TO
        NORTH CAROLINA.

ACTIVITY MAY ALSO BE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF A LINE FROM...

        CENTRAL FRANCE TO SOUTHERN GERMANY TO NORTHERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA TO
        CENTRAL POLAND TO NOTHERN RUSSIA INCLUDING ALL OF GREAT BRITAIN, ALL
        OF IRELAND, ALL OF NORWAY, ALL OF SWEDEN AND ALL OF FINLAND.
        OBSERVATIONS OF STRONG ACTIVITY WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE FROM NEW
        ZEALAND AND EXTREME SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA.


SYNOPSIS...

     A major coronal mass ejection is thought to be in-transit to the Earth
following yesterdays major class X1.1/3B proton flare.  The arrival of this
disturbance is expected anytime between 06:00 UTC on 26 August and 24:00 UTC
on 26 August, with a preference between 12:00 and 18:00 UTC on 26 August.
Auroral activity is expected to rapidly reach major to severe storm levels
immediately to a few hours after the arrival of the shock front associated
with the coronal mass ejection. If conditions are as favorable as we expect
them to become, visible auroral actiivty (at times very intense) could become
visible as far south as northern California, Colorado, Kansas and North
Carolina (see above).  This is expected to be the strongest auroral storm so
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
far this solar cycle. Whether it will reach that expectation remains to be
seen, but the potential certainly exists.

     Observers in North America should therefore watch closely for activity
during the extreme pre-dawn hours of 26 August and during the evening of
26/27 August. The main phase of this disturbance could approach 24 hours in
duration, providing most of the Earth's middle latitude regions with a good
opportunity to observe activity.



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