Report of Aurora Observation #2 - 2003 October 29

[anonymous]

Relaying some further observations of the activity last Wednesday night/Thursday morning local time.

Peter Skilton
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Observer: Greg Hudson
Location: Temporarily at Mount Beauty, near Albury, Victoria (Lat: 36d45m South, Long: 147d13m East)

I finally managed to observe some faint Auroral activity last night 2003 October 29 between 1330 UTC and 1400 UTC).  Cloud cover was extensive except for about 10 deg on the southern horizon (fortunately).
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Observer:  Robert McNaught
Location:  Coonabarabran, New South Wales  (Lat: 149.1 deg East, Long: 31.3 deg South)

2003 October 29, 1700 UTC (=04:00 AEDT) very weak rays to 15 degrees in south from Siding Spring.
1725 UTC (now) rays up to 50 degrees.  Pretty bright low down.
By about 1750 UTC the aurora had died down considerably, with little structure visible.  For the next 30 mins till dawn became too bright - all that was visible was an amorphous glow.  Peak was between 1720 to 1735 UTC.

Image of the aurora from Siding Spring is at http://concam/ss/ss031029/ss031029ut173241u.jpg
shows good structure.  It became blurred through movement after that.

My partner, Tanya Smith, sent me this this morning from her location in Narrabri, NSW

At 1130 UTC last night, I wasn't sure at the time, not knowing what I was looking for, but there was a single "ray" lasting quite a few seconds in the south, reaching approximately 25-30deg above the horizon. There was a strong reddish glow along the southern horizon at the time as well (somewhat helped along by the lights of Baan Baa in the SSE). The glow subsided a lot over the next half hour, and I headed home at 1220 UTC.
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Observer:  Ian Musgrave
Location:  Largs North, South Australia  (Lat: 34d49m South  Long: 138d29m East)

Adelaide was cloudy, but during brief clearing at 2003 October 29 1200 UTC, I saw a southward glow which might have been aurora.
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Observer:  Lance Kelly and Roger Vodicka
Location:  Ashwood and Dandenong, Victoria  (Lat: 37d52m South Long: 145d06m East and Lat: 37d57m South Long: 145d12m East)

Roger Vodicka and I saw aurora 2003 October 29 about 1125 UTC from Ashwood and Dandenong (VIC) simultaneously when a white long streak shot up from the zenith from the south.  Roger had noted aurora ten minutes previously and contacted myself.

Moving to a darker sky at Tooradin (near Western Port Bay) only a glow could be seen in the south.  No major activity was seen and observing stopped at 1400 UTC.
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Observer:  Perry Vlahos
Location:  Burwood, Victoria  (Lat: 37d51m South   Long: 145d06m East)

During the later part of the Council Meeting last night at the ASV Lodge, I noticed an aurora in the south. This was about 1100 UTC on 2003 October 29. Council took a break from its pressing business for ten minutes, to go out and watch it. A reddish pink glow was all over the southern horizon and some of us could see green columns with averted vision, stretching up between the Pointers and Crux.  Earlier I could see one between Crux and Carina.  This is the first aurora I've ever seen!
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Observer:  Indirectly relayed via Geoff Dudley
Location:  Bendigo, Victoria  (36d45m South, 144d17m East)

OTOH aurorae were seen over Bendigo last night (2003 October 29)!
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