@ JanL - Netherlands sighting

[Ulrich Rieth]

Hi Jan!

There is a somewhat strange sighting report from the Netherlands.
The guy claims to have seen auroral rays arround 20:45 UTC.
At that time there was no activity at the magnetometers:

Magnetsrode, 19.August 2002


I asked the reporting guy in the STD forum to give some additional informations.
Perhaps you can also comment that.
Regards

Ulrich

[jan lameer]

> Hi Ulrich!

Actually his observation was at 21:50 UT (23:50 local). He made a mistake in logging his report.
His observation was low over the horizon so the disturbance should have been over Norway. I remember from last night that southern Norwegian stations registerred disturbances at that time. The Norwegian magnetometers info of that time is not available anymore and it will take a few weeks before they appear in the history list.

By the way, Bergen Norway is due north of us.

So I do not entirely doubt the observation. But single observations when the moon is up are always a little doubtfull.

greetings, JanL

[jan]

Hello,

I doubt it also, We were at a location north of alkmaar starting 2130 ut , dark, no clouds (yet) at that time and saw absolutely nothing. This sighting has raised eyebrows high here too. A slight difference could be a higher humidity caused by the ijsselmeer lit by moonlight in the north. Straight up the milkyway was visible nontheless. Also the 5 to 1 clockarm pattern of beams looks irregular not? Always experienced them parallel or joining at zenit.

cheers

jan

[Ulrich Rieth]

...where the trigger for my alarm clock.
That's why I think this must have been clouds.
And as there is that low pressure system with its arm streched out just SSW-NNE over the Netherlands, I think I am right.
Well, give the reporting guy a chance to explain it a bit more or even show some images for proof or disproof.
Have fun!

Ulrich

[jan lameer]

I didn't quite understand the 5 to 1 phrase. When Jan-H was observing at the same time and didn't see anything, that is enough proof to me that nothing was visible.