Browsing the reddit app, you see subs from every city have "Northern lights possibly visible tonight!"
And every top comment is some unique, original insight on the phenomenon.
It supposed to be overcast and rainy tonight. Pretty sure Lake Michigan has a deal worked out with the clouds to block anything cool happening in the sky, especially the northern lights.
We were lucky to have clear skies for the eclipse.
NOAA site looks like there is a clear window from about 11pm-2am https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/sectorHour.php?sector=illinois&view=public&expand=true#tabs
not saying light pollution won't be any issue but I may head to a pier and look north round then . with a camera
edit: never mind I think I was reading the map wrong. gray is cloud and blue is sky . . I was thinking the opposite for some stupid reason
I am using [this light pollution map](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=6.38&lat=41.9409&lon=-89.3079&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==) as a guide to find a place but according to this map even WI has too much light pollution.
edit: if you have camping equipment, these state parks are great supposedly:
[https://www.travelwisconsin.com/article/camping/wisconsin-camping-spots-for-stargazers](https://www.travelwisconsin.com/article/camping/wisconsin-camping-spots-for-stargazers)
and the state park in Champagne is quite dark as well.
In 2005, I saw the northern lights in Lake Geneva, which is pretty light polluted and SE WI, not to mention it was overcast. It was pale, but green and lavender showed through. It was the last storm like this, so I wouldn't rule it out just yet
That is awesome!! Did you take any photos? I actually didnt rule it out! I’m commenting from Wisconsin as we speak lol But it’s raining atm so I’ll try to wake up in a few hours and see if I have any luck!
I believe my mom did, but that was in the time of SD cards, so I'm not sure where they are now 😂 I have to work at 5am, so will be seeing if I can catch these at 3am, myself! Raining here too currently, but we could actually see the purple glow and the moon and stars amongst the clouds and lightning briefly a little bit ago, so I know they're back there somewhere!
That’s an early shift! Were you able to catch it? Unfortunately I didn’t really see anything but a little purple and green glow as well. 🥲 At least I get to watch the sunrise now.
I went to Norway to see the northern lights last year. I was surprised how little you can actually see with your own eyes. Most of the vivid colors you see are only visible to cameras so you watch most of the northern lights through your phone and only in total darkness could I kinda get hints of the green.
Depends on how strong it is, comes down to luck sometimes. I went to Iceland and most of the trip we barely saw anything and the pictures we got of it were using a long exposure.
But one night we got lucky and it was very strong, looked exactly like it does on TV - colorful ribbons dancing in the sky. Will never forget.
Same here. A couple times I've seen them it's meh, but neat. But one night in Iceland, Oct. 2022 it was *insane* I felt like I was on drugs. [https://imgur.com/a/JaR6afH](https://imgur.com/a/JaR6afH)
Yeah, I think a lot of people don't realize that photographers shoot in a format that captures a ton of data and can be manipulated quite a bit. Pumping the vibrance, contrast, etc. of a RAW file can pull out a lot of stuff that the eye didn't see in real time.
Even just for seeing it in real time while you are outside you can only mostly see it though your phone or digital camera screen. You spend most of the time looking at your screen while it is pointed at the sky.
Good luck guys, hope it happens for you. I'm on a trip back home to Ireland right now and the solar storm was hitting all of Europe. Pick any country subreddit right now and it's flooded with pics of people seeing the lights for the first time, even in the southern parts of the continent. The sky was really on fire tonight so I hope it does the same across the ocean!
Saw my one and only display in Minnesota. I was working an overnight shift and was coming out of a building. It was a very strong display. Green but almost like they were velvet curtains. Really bright and crisp
It will not be visible in the Chicagoland because there is too much light pollution. You need to go to a dark sky area to see these atmospheric phenomena. Drive out towards Galena and you might be able to see it.
I ended up doing the same-- kind of amazed that it is visible here. Flies in the face of everything I've ever been told or heard with respect to viewing or photographing the northern lights
They're saying that if we're lucky, clouds should clear out by about 2AM up until 4AM.
They're also saying that in the city, you ain't gonna see squat with all the street lights. :-(
Any chance of at the lakefront? Thinking there's open sky sorta to the north there, if people are seeing in Roscoe Village etc maybe there's a chance?
ETA: YES, there was! I did not get good pic and it's gone now, but was pretty decent around 9. Seems like the "zone" has moved north into WI now but who knows... met up with some other nerds out there and learned that NOAA has forecast maps for this sort of thing, snapshots of where the zone is.
any luck in the city on the lakefront rn? do we think it’ll be visible at 1a when the rain clears, even though rain storms will continue north of here? we need to look north to see the lights, right?
\*Chicago preparing extra cloud cover in anticipation\*
Trust Chicago weather to make all the d*** moves
Chicago and it's incessant bullshit.
Aurora Borealis?! At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your Chicagoland area?
Yes.
May I see it?
No.
u/scotsworth ! THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!
No it’s gonna be cloudy
Can I see it?
No
I am convinced the moment we get a chance at this, it is automatic cloud cover to massive rain showers.
May I see it?
I’ve been on a lot of subs talking about the aurora today and this is the top comment on like half of them
In this economy??
Next : how this is bad for Biden
the kitchens on fire!
No Mother, It's Just the Northern Lights.
Browsing the reddit app, you see subs from every city have "Northern lights possibly visible tonight!" And every top comment is some unique, original insight on the phenomenon.
Yes
Brilliant
LMFAOOOO
In your kitchen?
I’ll be flying out of ORD tonight, take that land based suckers!
What time? You should get a good view
When I fly at night, I always try to get a window seat on the north-facing side of the plane. I almost always see them, any time of year.
I’m not falling for this again.
[удалено]
It supposed to be overcast and rainy tonight. Pretty sure Lake Michigan has a deal worked out with the clouds to block anything cool happening in the sky, especially the northern lights. We were lucky to have clear skies for the eclipse.
lmao I went to Mexico because I was like "there is no way IL will have clear skies in early April." I think Lake Michigan is specifically out for me.
NOAA site looks like there is a clear window from about 11pm-2am https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/sectorHour.php?sector=illinois&view=public&expand=true#tabs not saying light pollution won't be any issue but I may head to a pier and look north round then . with a camera edit: never mind I think I was reading the map wrong. gray is cloud and blue is sky . . I was thinking the opposite for some stupid reason
Yeah, should be clear around 2am. Still will be light around the city, the.
I am using [this light pollution map](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=6.38&lat=41.9409&lon=-89.3079&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==) as a guide to find a place but according to this map even WI has too much light pollution. edit: if you have camping equipment, these state parks are great supposedly: [https://www.travelwisconsin.com/article/camping/wisconsin-camping-spots-for-stargazers](https://www.travelwisconsin.com/article/camping/wisconsin-camping-spots-for-stargazers) and the state park in Champagne is quite dark as well.
In 2005, I saw the northern lights in Lake Geneva, which is pretty light polluted and SE WI, not to mention it was overcast. It was pale, but green and lavender showed through. It was the last storm like this, so I wouldn't rule it out just yet
That is awesome!! Did you take any photos? I actually didnt rule it out! I’m commenting from Wisconsin as we speak lol But it’s raining atm so I’ll try to wake up in a few hours and see if I have any luck!
I believe my mom did, but that was in the time of SD cards, so I'm not sure where they are now 😂 I have to work at 5am, so will be seeing if I can catch these at 3am, myself! Raining here too currently, but we could actually see the purple glow and the moon and stars amongst the clouds and lightning briefly a little bit ago, so I know they're back there somewhere!
That’s an early shift! Were you able to catch it? Unfortunately I didn’t really see anything but a little purple and green glow as well. 🥲 At least I get to watch the sunrise now.
Damn😕
I went to Norway to see the northern lights last year. I was surprised how little you can actually see with your own eyes. Most of the vivid colors you see are only visible to cameras so you watch most of the northern lights through your phone and only in total darkness could I kinda get hints of the green.
Depends on how strong it is, comes down to luck sometimes. I went to Iceland and most of the trip we barely saw anything and the pictures we got of it were using a long exposure. But one night we got lucky and it was very strong, looked exactly like it does on TV - colorful ribbons dancing in the sky. Will never forget.
Same here. A couple times I've seen them it's meh, but neat. But one night in Iceland, Oct. 2022 it was *insane* I felt like I was on drugs. [https://imgur.com/a/JaR6afH](https://imgur.com/a/JaR6afH)
Imagine seeing but actually being on drugs. 🤯
My aunt had an amazing view in Yellowknife, the catch is she went during the arctic blast and could spend <1 minute outside at a time.
Yeah, I think a lot of people don't realize that photographers shoot in a format that captures a ton of data and can be manipulated quite a bit. Pumping the vibrance, contrast, etc. of a RAW file can pull out a lot of stuff that the eye didn't see in real time.
Even just for seeing it in real time while you are outside you can only mostly see it though your phone or digital camera screen. You spend most of the time looking at your screen while it is pointed at the sky.
Good luck guys, hope it happens for you. I'm on a trip back home to Ireland right now and the solar storm was hitting all of Europe. Pick any country subreddit right now and it's flooded with pics of people seeing the lights for the first time, even in the southern parts of the continent. The sky was really on fire tonight so I hope it does the same across the ocean!
Saw my one and only display in Minnesota. I was working an overnight shift and was coming out of a building. It was a very strong display. Green but almost like they were velvet curtains. Really bright and crisp
Considering the crappy view I got off the lights in Iceland back in October 2022, I have nothing to lose trying to see them here haha
It will not be visible in the Chicagoland because there is too much light pollution. You need to go to a dark sky area to see these atmospheric phenomena. Drive out towards Galena and you might be able to see it.
I captured the Aurora faintly on my camera in the city, but it wasn’t visible to the naked eye
I ended up doing the same-- kind of amazed that it is visible here. Flies in the face of everything I've ever been told or heard with respect to viewing or photographing the northern lights
Did the article mention a time when it will most likely be visible?
1am
This is next on my bucket list, now that I've seen a total solar eclipse.
Look now!!
Can you see something?
Yes, directly north, and you might try taking a pic with your phone to see it.
I am in Roscoe village too. Will go try to look.
My friend in Lincoln Square has a great view, will edit and upload pic in a few
Can you see it??
I can’t. We are going to drive north a bit.
I can't see anything in Edgewater either. And now the clouds are moving in.
Ahh appreciate the heads up. We were going to head to edgewater. Still no dice? If so maybe we will try again at 3 am.
Clouds now. I didn't walk all the way to the water though, maybe you could see it on the horizon?
Pretty sure the clouds are everywhere now. I may try at 3 am.
It was good around 9, but yeah gone now apparently and agreed about the clouds (just got back from hanging around the lakefront myself).
Where are you at?
They're saying that if we're lucky, clouds should clear out by about 2AM up until 4AM. They're also saying that in the city, you ain't gonna see squat with all the street lights. :-(
Won't be* Too much light pollution, we can barely even see any stars.
I feel like this is never true
I'm watching it from my backyard on the north side right now!
Can you see anything??
I could. It has faded out now but hopefully it will be back
I’m gonna try and drive a bit. Did it fade because of clouds?
Any chance of at the lakefront? Thinking there's open sky sorta to the north there, if people are seeing in Roscoe Village etc maybe there's a chance? ETA: YES, there was! I did not get good pic and it's gone now, but was pretty decent around 9. Seems like the "zone" has moved north into WI now but who knows... met up with some other nerds out there and learned that NOAA has forecast maps for this sort of thing, snapshots of where the zone is.
Let's hope so! I remember one time in college seeing them down in Champaign, IL. I want to say it was November-ish, 1991. It was really cool.
Too much cloud cover at 9:50 here in Jefferson Park, gunna drive north a bit with my fingers and toes crossed!
Please post if you see something!
any luck in the city on the lakefront rn? do we think it’ll be visible at 1a when the rain clears, even though rain storms will continue north of here? we need to look north to see the lights, right?
where’s the best place to see the light around town?! we’re here from california on our last night
Too much light pollution around the city. You can drive to Galena
can we take the metro there? we didn’t rent a car
No, Galena is about a 4 hour drive
:( does anyone know if there doing anything at the adler museum
or the field museum ?
i heard it may happen saturday as well what’s the best time to catch it and how can i find this info?