What will happen to aurora?
These days global warming is the trend word. Everyone is talking about it. Scientits, ecologists, meteorologists, farmers.. all express their worry about greenhouse gasses and about the holes in the ozone layer. There is no question about it - the planet's already out of whack as we experience warm winters, sakura is blooming earlier, you have to wear +100 sun cream if you don't want to get skin cancer and you can't ski in December! Everyone's worried about catastrophic polar meltdown!But I'm worried about another thing.
What will happen to aurora? So far as I know, nobody has discussed about that. As I'm not meteorologist, I cannot be sure whether it will be affected or not. (I must call my uncle today and ask about that). But as far as I know, aurora is something that occur in COLD WINTER NIGHTS, when it's below -20C and CLEAR SKY. These days we get these boring winters here in Finland which is like God's saying "Hey sorry guys, can't help you with that, this winter (+2C) is best I can do this year..". I don't know about science or meteorology so much, but I know, I'm not seeing aurora like I used to see ten years ago. Besides how could I, when thick grey overcast is hanging on sky.
Japanese people are travelling to Finland just to see aurora. Yes, if Japanese person even hears the word "aurora" his or her eyes lit up, Aurora? Did you see it! I wanna see it? I want to go to Finland!
Aurora is like mountains of Nepal for Japanese - something they want to see, even if it's expensive and they have to sit in tourist class for ten hours. Just like there is no guarantees that you can see the mountains in Nepal (they get clouded up you know!) there are absolutely no guarantees that you can watch aurora. If you get very lucky you can. But these days to come to Finland to see aurora is like playing poker game with Russian mafia. You are more likely to lose.
Aurora is romantic. Aurora is wonderful. Aurora is like free cinema show of nature, the ultimate graphic design of the universe. And it's FREE!
Now this is being endagered just so that people could get to their supermarket in neighborhood without having to walk or cycle. I don't dig it.
Should I move to Siberia?
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/
No worries! Seeing Aurora is connected to coldness as much as eating ice cream is connected to seeing miniskirts. Happens at the same time without a true connection.
Aurora are dim and they occur above 80km of altitude, so skies need to be dark in comparison (no chance during summer up north or down south) and clear (which are usually also cold as there are no clouds to stop accumulated heat from escaping into space). Hence \”cold winter nights\”. There will be Aurora 24/7 in the future, too. They only die with the Sun (or with the disappearance of atmosphere, or when Earth\’s iron core stops spinning, which probably all happens around the same time the Sun dies, \’cause she goes with a BANG!!).
acjama (Email) - 04 02 07 - 18:01