The channel is an excellent and very open place for everyone to join and discuss all things related to the aurora phenomenon. It is open to both novices and seasoned aurora spotters. At times when there is a lot of activity some questions are asked over and over, "is there going to be northern lights tonight?" is just one of the many. I hope you understand that just as you, the more experienced people are also trying to enjoy the show, and are busy analyzing the incoming data as well. Please make sure your question is not already answered in this FAQ before asking.

  This page is also available in Dutch.

Comments or suggestions?

Aurora related FAQ:
1. Will there be aurora tonight?
2. Bz? Bt? Velocity? What does all this data mean?
3. How do I photograph the aurora?
4. What causes the aurora?
5. Why are there different colors in the aurora?
6. How do I read / what is Canopus?
7. What is LASCO, and where can I find the data?
8. What is EPAM and where can I find it?
9. X Class, M Class Flares? What are they, and where can I follow these events? SEC data.
10. Where can I find some online all-sky aurora cameras?
11. I want to download stuff!
12. Are there any good books available on this topic?
13. What are sunspots, and what role do they play?
14. What are coronal holes, and what role do they play?
15. What is the magnetosphere?
16. What's My Geomagnetic Latitude? And why is there a difference anyway?
17. What is the auroral oval?
18. Where can I find out more about the weather.
19. What is the Van Allen Belt?
20. What are all the services that are available in the channel?

IRC related FAQ:
0. What is IRC?
1. What is Undernet, and why is the channel hosted there?
2. How do I get on the #SpaceWeather channel?
3. No one seems to be talking, does this thing work?
4. How is the channel organized? Who is who?
5. Where can I learn more about IRC?
6. Crash course IRC commands.
7. Netiquette
8. What is a netsplit?
9. How to get on the channel using HydraIRC
10. Some pointers for mobile phone users

1. Will there be aurora tonight?
   This is very difficult to answer, and a question we might get once every few minutes when there is an active storm. The factors if it is visible where you are are many. Location, latitude, light pollution by moon or cities, clouds, etc. etc. Read the latest forecast notes on http://www.spacew.com/. And understand that the question when exactly it will start is asking when the rain will start when rain is expected in the weather forecast. Rest assured, when people see the lights, you definitely WILL hear about it on the channel!

2. Bz? Bt? Velocity? What does all this data mean?
   These are all data which are being recorded by the ACE spacecraft. ACE is situated between the sun and the earth on the spot where the gravity from both are the same. This records specifics on solar wind. Because it is so far away, it usually takes around 40 minutes before a front detected by ACE impacts the earth. Some of the data contains:

• Bz is the magnetic orientation of the solar wind, the further south, the better. As opposites attract it will enable to solar wind to 'attach' to the earth's magnetic field which will enhance the transfer from particles into the magnetosphere. With a northwards Bz they will be repelled. Values of -20 and lower are preferred.
• Velocity, sudden strong increases indicate a shock front arrival. Values of 650 km/sec and higher are good values.
• Density, the amount of particles per cubic centimeter. The more the better. A value of 10 and higher are preferred.
  You can follow the 2 hour graphs here.

3. How do I photograph the aurora?
   Please take a look here. For some starting points on exposure times, check this page. Also the information in the gallery for each photo on http://www.northern-lights.no/ and http://www.spacew.com/ is a good source of information.
  On this site we added a page with tutorials on how to edit photos of the aurora. For tips on actually shooting the aurora in the field you better check out one of the links mentioned before.

4. What causes the aurora?
   In a few lines: charged particles which have been emitted from the Sun are carried by the solar wind. When those particles reach Earth they can be guided by the magnetic field towards the polar regions. When they descend down our atmosphere they collide with molecules from gasses such as Oxygen and Nitrogen which is causing the visible phenomenon we are calling the Aurora Borealis (or Australis if it happens in the Southern hemisphere). For further reading on what aurora is, please look here and here.

5. Why are there different colors in the aurora?
   Please read this article.

6. How do I read Canopus?    If you look at the map, you can see a row of dots in Canada and USA. There the data is collected for this graph. The map shows the auroral oval (point 17), the location where visible aurora takes place. The brighter the oval, the better. Remember you can see aurora a bit further south, just look northwards low on the horizon. Canopus's "full oval" versus rtAmie's more correct geographical representation    North America however is about 6 hours away from Europe, and substorms can be a very localized event. So if you are *not* in North America you are better of using another resource, such as rtAmie. This map is compiled from satellite data and is showing the auroral oval over a map of the northern hemisphere in red gradients. The amount of red represents how strong the oval is, just like the 'the whiter the better' at the Canopus graph.

8. What is EPAM and where can I find it?
   An increase of the EPAM plot is a sign of an upcoming front. Usually you see the red line going up steadily (with a few hicks here and there) up to preferably values of up to 1.0E+05 to 1.0E+06. When the front arrives this value will suddenly rise a good ammount, after which it will plummet down.

9. X Class, M Class Flares? What are they, and where can I follow these events? SEC data.
   A solar flare occurs when the energy stored in a twisted magnetic field is suddenly released, usually from a sunspot (point 13). With these flares x-rays intensify as well. Using the SEC plots you can follow the sun's x-ray output which is classified as A, B, C, M, or X class events, going up in this order. Upper M class and X class events are especially interesting for the northern lights enthusiasts. Using the LASCO imagery (point 7) you can determine if they are associated with earth bound coronal mass ejection's.

10. Where can I find some online all-sky aurora camera's?
   Some nice all-sky camera's are: Kiruna, Sweden, Sodankyla, Finland, Alomar, Norway, Poker Flat, Alaska

11. I want to download stuff!
   Don't we all want to download cool stuff! There is a lot of free information on the Internet. For the people who want to dive more into the theory, I'm sure you know how to use Google and find scientific documents in .pdf format you can print out and learn from.
   If you want a program you can use to follow the latest data, STD Aurora Monitor is the small brother of SWIM. It is a program that has a freeware version you can download and evaluate. Although this particular version has some shortcoming and annoying bugs, you can't beat anything that's for free!
  Solar Weather Browser is a freeware program from SIDC that you can use to browse solar events. On selecting a date it will retrieve the information over the Internet. Very handy to find back data about flares.
   SOHO is an important spacecraft for us. One of the instruments onboard is LASCO which importance to us is explained in point 7. And on their website you can download a complete CD-ROM which contains a lot of information regarding the instruments on the spacecraft, as well as explanations on the solar wind and the sun itself. Not to be missed! If you have a newer version of Windows and the CD-ROM does not want to run, you might have to set your virtual memory to exactly 4000MB.

12. Are there any good books available on this topic?
   There are several books available on this subject. But if you need a single book which is easy to understand for the layman without any (astro-) physics background, then The Aurora Watcher's Handbook is the book to get. It touches all subjects that are of interest to anyone interested this field.

15. What is the magnetosphere?
   Please read this article. A graph which is interesting to follow during the impact of a shock front is this one.

16. What's My Geomagnetic Latitude? And why is there a difference anyway?
   We have two poles. One pole is the geographic pole, which is being used on maps. The other is the geomagnetic pole, and is the pole where actually all compasses point out to. The auroral oval where the visible lights are taking place is attached to the magnetic pole. This is why as watchers, our magnetic latitude is more relevant then our geographical one. Also, the magnetic pole is tilted a bit towards Canada, this is why during storms aurora can be seen much further south in North America (geographically spoken!) than in Europe. To know what your magnetic latitude is, please visit these pages: North America, Eurasia, South Africa & Australia, South America.

18. Where can I find out more about the weather.
   No matter how strong the storm is, if there are clouds covering your observing location: no show! Often weather forecasts on the radio or TV can be a bit too vague or general. At such times it is often best to check the available satellite data yourself, and see where you need to be. Satellite loops enable you to anticipate where clouds will move to the coming hours, and even an 20km ride can sometimes make the difference of seeing the lights, or miss them due to clouds! Some suggestions for online weather resources:

19. What is the Van Allen Belt?
   The Van Allen Belt is situated as a torus around the earth at the height of the equator (in the equatorial plane). It works as a trap for high energy particles from the sun and cosmos, which if filled to its maximum can be released in substorms to the earth's polar regions where they will create aurora. They are called after James Van Allen who discovered them. More information can be found here.

20. What are all the services that are available in the channel?
   Several services are available in the channel, some fully automated, and some you can use with commands. The services with commands are:

   Fully automated services are notification of reports available on the Internet. Currently we have the next services setup:

0. What is IRC?
   IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat and is one of the older protocols on the Internet. The protocol defines a set of rules that creates a way for groups of users to chat with each other. As the protocol is very open it allows us to integrate special features such as services that display solar wind data, etc.

1. What is Undernet, and why is the channel hosted there?
   Undernet is one of the biggest IRC networks. A network consists of multiple IRC servers located all over the world which are connected to form a single network. Users who are connected to the same IRC network can chat with each other if they have joined a common channel ('channel' is the correct IRC terminology for a 'chat-room').
   The benefit of using an existing network is that we do not have to maintain our own IRC server for this. Also, the servers in use on Undernet are of high quality, and usually connected directly on important backbones that tie the whole Internet together. It's wise you pick a server geographically close to you, for an optimal speed.

2. How do I get on the #SpaceWeather channel?
   First you will need some way to connect to Undernet. On the Undernet website there is a web chat page you can use if you prefer not to install an IRC program. To get on our channel perform the next steps:

• Fill in your preferred nick in "Nickname". Pick a descriptive nick, as no two people can use the same nick on the network. Optionally fill in an alternative nick if this is going to be the case.
• In the "Your Favorite Channel" fill in #SpaceWeather.
• In the "Channel" dropdown menu, scroll all the way down and select "Another channel".
• From the server drop down, pick a option that is geographically closest to you.
• Hit Connect! If all goes well you should be brought to the #SpaceWeather channel in a few seconds.

   If you prefer to have a real IRC program installed on your own computer, then there are a lot of options. On Windows mIRC is a very popular program, but not for free. HydraIRC is a freeware program for Windows. If you prefer another client, or you are using another operating system, this page has a list of options.
   For configuration of other programs to get on our channel, please take a look at the documentation of the program of your choice. In all cases pick an Undernet server (preferably the one geographically closest to you), and once connected, join the #SpaceWeather channel. How to get on the channel using HydraIRC, we made this FAQ on this page.

3. No one seems to be talking, does this thing work?
   Activity on the channel can vary a lot depending on a few factors. The most important is activity of the sun and the solar wind, of course. During active storms you can be assured there will be a lot of chatting about! Between storms the activity can from time to time be really low. The channel will still however be available, and so are the services we offer in the channel.

4. How is the channel organized? Who is who?
   You will notice some people's presence is more prominent than others. The people with an @-sign before their name in the nick list are "channel operators". The task of these people is to keep order in the channel, and maintain it in all its aspects. In case of problems, talk to one of them, preferably one that seems active at the moment.
   There are also bots (short for robots) active as channel operators. The most important one is SporadiX. This bot has several services available, such as notification of new available reports (forecasts, etc.) and display of current solar wind data and new detected CME's.

5. Where can I learn more about IRC?
   There are a lot of IRC related websites available, http://www.new2chat.com/ and http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/new2irc.html are good places to start.

6. Crash course IRC commands.
   Point 5 will be of much bigger help, but we will list a few of the most important commands here if you need a crash course:

7. Netiquette
   A small word about using proper netiquette (etiquette on the Internet). The channel can be very busy at times, and constantly repeating yourself will not be appreciated at such times. Especially by those who are online from the field with for example a mobile phone. Especially during busy times: stay on topic, which will save a lot of unnecessary text. DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPS, it is considered as shouting. Do not make use of excessive colors, or scripts that give unnecessary colors and messages in the channel.

8. What is a netsplit?
   The Undernet IRC network consists of a large number of servers all around the world that are connected to each other. From time to time it can happen that the connection between two of such servers has a temporary hiccup. The users on either side will see the users from the 'other side' leave the channel with a message similar like this: *** nick (ident@some.isp.com) Quit (*.net *.split)
   If the netsplit occurs between the two servers connecting both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, the number of users parting the channel might be quite big. In most cases, the split will not take long, and you should see the 'other side' joining back within a few minutes.
   If you are on a single server that have been split off the network, and it takes quite long, you can try another server to join back with the others. Netsplits are a small annoyance in the use of IRC, but the benefits, such as running our own bots which can display data, greatly out benefit it.

9. How to get on the channel using HydraIRC
   After you downloaded and installed the program, and run it the first time, you will have to create a identity. Type in the following information, ofcourse change to your preferred nickname, and click the Add button:

  After this you can click the connect button which you can find on the iconbar on the top of the program. I have a red circle around the icon on the next image:

  In the following window, scroll down a little, and click on "Undernet", and then the irc.undernet.org server, and then click OK:

  Now a new window will be opened, and the program will try and connect to the Undernet network. This might take a few seconds. Once connected a channel list window will be opened wich you can close, you already know what channel you want to join! Type in the edit box of the server window: /join #spaceweather And again a new window will be opened, this time for the channel, congratulations, you made it!

10. Some pointers for mobile phone users
   If you are with a mobile phone in the field, we have a secondary channel which might be interesting for you. On #spaceweatherdata you will be unable to talk, but the bot will be there to regurally give the latest data just as in the main channel. A good and cheap way to follow the lastest data in the field, without the high costs of downloading any graphs, or a lot of noise of the regular chat from the main channel you would otherwise have to scroll through on your small window. The data will also be updated faster then in the main channel.
   If you need a java client for mobile phones, jmIrc is a free option.