Anyone see the aurora?

[justpeachy]

I'm curious if anyone was able to see the aurora last night anywhere in the area. My sister and I went up to Larch Mountain and arrived about 8:45 (our goal being to see what we could see before the moon came up at 9:40). We didn't see the aurora, but we saw lots of stars and we got to see the moon rise, which was pretty cool. We figured the sky would be too bright from the moon after that, so we headed home.

BTW, it was a madhouse up there. The parking lot was almost full and people were jammed in like sardines at the tiny summit area. There were numerous dogs and a few strollers. On the way home there was a steady stream of cars heading up Larch Mountain Road, and there were cars parked all along both sides of the historic highway between Crown Point and the Portland Women's Forum. Heading down the hill to the Corbett exit we saw cars backed up the ENTIRE length of the hill all the way to the exit.

[n.bumppo]

I was at the Mt St Helens viewpoint on Curly Creek Road until 12:30am. No aurora there either. The parking lot was full and cars were going up and down Curly Creek Road all night.

[pdxgene]

There was a story on one of the local tv news websites or Oregonlive last night when I got home from work, I can't remember which, about the chances of seeing it in Oregon having been downgraded quite a bit.
It probably came out a touch late for all the people out looking for it to read it..

Here it is...
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-north ... _most-read

[Splintercat]

BTW, it was a madhouse up there. The parking lot was almost full and people were jammed in like sardines at the tiny summit area. There were numerous dogs and a few strollers. On the way home there was a steady stream of cars heading up Larch Mountain Road, and there were cars parked all along both sides of the historic highway between Crown Point and the Portland Women's Forum. Heading down the hill to the Corbett exit we saw cars backed up the ENTIRE length of the hill all the way to the exit.

This brings back images from the opening scenes in "Independence Day"....

Tom

[Lumpy]

I looked at the reported "strength" of the event on my phone through my work shift that ended at 11pm, and decided that it wouldn't be worth driving to a dark site for it. A friend that was on Larch Mtn said the amount of lights seen were pretty "meh".

[n.bumppo]

I spoke too soon. When I posted my first response I had not yet processed my photos. While I was at the view point I had not seen any sign of the Northern Lights in the sky, nor had I seen anything on the camera LCD. However, when I processed my photos just now I noticed that small bit of the aurora in the upper left corner. Woohoo.

[Lumpy]

One might not have been able to see that with the naked eye, but I'm glad that you got it with the camera.

[Waffle Stomper]

I heard from one of my FB friends that there was a minimum of 70 people at Trillium Lake. I guess there were even more after another arrived.

[Chazz]

I was up at Elk Lake in Indian Heaven on Saturday night. There was nothing visible.

[R11]

20140912_Night Sky_5.jpg

I spoke too soon. When I posted my first response I had not yet processed my photos. While I was at the view point I had not seen any sign of the Northern Lights in the sky, nor had I seen anything on the camera LCD. However, when I processed my photos just now I noticed that small bit of the aurora in the upper left corner. Woohoo.

You sure that might not be a minor bit of momentary lens flare perhaps? It kinda looks like it lines right up with the lights from the photogs...


ron