Aurora Lights for Northern U.S., Oregon, the Coast

Published 09/11/2014

(Oregon Coast) – Space.com and other astronomy experts are reporting that a set of major solar flares earlier this week will likely result in some startling sights above the skies in the northern hemisphere tonight and Friday, including the northern U.S. and maybe even Oregon and the coastline.

The biggest chances for catching the aurora borealis are Friday night, said William Murtagh, program coordinator for the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado. But some may be visible tonight.

The Oregon coast weather forecast – like that of Portland and much of Oregon – is for clear skies tonight and Friday. Thus, chances will be good to catch it. The coast will be excellent because of its lack of interference from city lights. Those in Portland or larger towns in Oregon will want to get out into the countryside a ways and into darker areas.

Your chances will be better if you use higher quality camera equipment on a tripod, and high ASA settings. It may not show up to the naked eye.

Two solar flares erupted this week: one on Monday and another on Wednesday. The Monday flare was of a particularly long duration, which is adding to the excitement for the northern lights possibilities. Both storms are considered quite powerful, coming from a sunspot region cataloged as number AR2158 which has yielded large, impressive surges before.

Considering the weather over the next two nights, these could well be visible in coastal towns as far south as Yachats or Florence – which includes Manzanita, Cannon Beach, Seaside, Rockaway Beach, Lincoln City and Newport.

Some photos of the aurora borealis on the coast below, as well as the coast range. More Oregon coast science and astronomy.

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