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Martin Rowley

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Apr 6, 1997, 4:00:00 AM4/6/97
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In article <199704030...@zetnet.co.uk>, Anthony Walker
<tony....@zetnet.co.uk> writes
>
>While travelling into work last Saturday at 1945hrs (GMT), I was
>keeping an eye out for the comet. It was just about dark.
>
>I noticed a bright (white) light in the sky to the north behind some
>hazy cloud. The light was quite spread out. The light was about 25deg
>above the horizon.
>
>At first i thought that was the comet, but for the amount of light it
>would have had to have been a bit close to earth.
>
>Second thought was the moon. However the direction (more or less due
>north) and again the spread of light would seem to rule this out.
>
>Could it have been an Aurora and did anyone else see it, or am I
>being daft and it was the moon.

Earlier in the week I posted this to uk.sci.weather:.....

<begin quote>


Seen last night (30th March 1997), from St.Albans - see sig below for
full location.

2030 GMT: Bright, white billow-like formation bearing ENE-NE, elevation
below 10 deg; Appeared for about 3-4 mins then disappeared. Whilst
visible, little variation internally - i.e. the 'cloud' didn't appear to
move.

2055-2100 GMT: Marked hard/'shining' white band bearing 020-040 deg,
elevation circa 8 deg, with finer/'gossamer-like' filaments to circa 12
deg above. Whole lasted for 4 mins or so, then faded quickly. Again,
little discernible movement.

Don't think this was smoke trapped underneath the nocturnal inversion,
as the back-lighting would have to be from a strong white source, and I
don't know of one in that direction. In any case its speed of appearance
and disappearance, without sign of drift, would tend to rule smoke out.

Only similar thing I've seen before is NLC, but its the wrong time of
year isn't it?

Either nacreous, or aurora are the two thoughts I had, but as I havn't
seen either before am seeking advice. I know the aurora has been
observed recently from the NE of England, and the rapid changes would
suggest this phenomenon.

Any one else see this?

<end quote>

Only one reply - negative, but certainly *not* the moon. It would
certainly be unusual to see the Aurora this far south, but thinking
about it since, I can't think of any other explanation.

Earlier in the week, in sci.astro, someone from Chicago posted that he
had seen, or thought he had seen the Aurora..so there is a possibility
we were seeing the same thing. Although most people think the aurora is
'spectacular' in fact the reference books mention that the predominant
observations are of white/fairly bland banding.

--
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% Martin Rowley//mar...@booty.demon.co.uk %
% St.Albans(Beech Bottom), Hertfordshire. %
% NGR: TL 155 090 %
% Lat: 51DEG46MIN(N); Long: 00DEG19MIN(W) %
% Height(amsl): 105 metres (340 feet) %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

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