West Seattle skywatching: Aurora alert, after super sunset

Two skywatching notes tonight:

AURORA ALERT: Via Twitter, Alice Enevoldsen (of Alice’s Astro Info and periodic Skies Over West Seattle reports among many other things) called our attention to an aurora alert for this area – and shortly thereafter, the National Weather Service tweeted this photo from Whidbey Island:

Skunk Bay Weather camera up by Admiralty Inlet is picking up both green and purple #aurora right now. #wawx pic.twitter.com/3uQQsmMzN2

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) May 8, 2016

Moments ago, Alice said the aurora-suggesting numbers are still rising, which is good news for possible sightings here. She has standard advice for aurora viewing – read it here.

SUPER SUNSET: A cloudbank over the mountaintop/island-top horizon glowed with a pink edge for a long time after tonight’s sunset. Not long before that, James Bratsanos got this two-part view:

P.S. Today’s high temperature set a record for this date, 82; previous record was 81 in 1987.

Alice May 8, 2016 (12:50 am)

Tomorrow night the numbers are the same again as tonight, so cross your fingers.

Lisa May 9, 2016 (9:17 am)

I’m getting confused by the various advice I’m getting about the Aurora. Is there a definitive site I can go to for info on possible sightings here in Seattle? I’m now under the impression it might be visible again tonight, Monday, May 9th, but I’m not sure. I’m totally willing to camp out at the overlook all night just for the possibility!

WSB May 9, 2016 (9:25 am)

There’s never a definitive way to forecast it. Might look good early in the day and then dissipate (as was the case last night). Alice Enevoldsen has been tweeting about it and I’d suggest following her Twitter feed (which you can also access via the Web if you are not a Twitter user) http://twitter.com/alicesastroinfo – TR

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