Shiny objects

[sirenwerks]

Total eclipses never excited me. Now aurora borealis, that gets me where I shouldn't be gotten. Maybe I should model an Alaskan railroad, but Alco Centuries and RS units would probably make it long up there.


I tried searching Google on "Burlington Northern Willamette Valley" and all I get is P&W and that modern BNSF origami-cab crap. Hrmph...

[pdx1955]

That's not surprising that you didn't find much ...here look at this for a start..https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Electric_Railway

[nkalanaga]

True, if neither you nor your wife are interested in eclipses, there's no point spending money or vacation time going to see one!

If you like to watch aurora, have you seen this site?
http://www.spaceweather.com/
They have regularly updated aurora forecasts, as well as other possibly interesting stuff.

I've never seen a "good" aurora, but from north of Pasco, in the mid 70s, it wasn't unusual to see enough glow for it to be noticeable.  The only towns of any size north of us were Othello and Moses Lake, bit too small and too far to leave light pollution, so even with the Tri-Cities to the south, we could see the glow.  It was better in central Oregon, on vacations, but even so, I never saw a really good display.

Here in northeast Kentucky, even in rural areas, the sky's too bright for common aurora to be visible, even if they come this far south.  People back here seem to be afraid of the dark.  If the stars are visible, they add another streetlight, and the humidity/haze doesn't help.

[sirenwerks]

Here in northeast Kentucky, even in rural areas, the sky's too bright for common aurora to be visible, even if they come this far south.  People back here seem to be afraid of the dark.  If the stars are visible, they add another streetlight, and the humidity/haze doesn't help.

One of the reasons I wanted to leave the eastern US. The light pollution is depressing.

[Missaberoad]

One of my favorite parts of working for the railroad is the stars and northern lights at night... In my entire life I haven't seen stars so bright and amazing as I do now in the middle of nowhere Alberta 

[OldEastRR]

The "shimmering curtain" aurora with the multi-colors is quite a sight. I saw it while in the bush in Alaska. Most auroras are a pale greenish lightness pulsing across the dark sky.
On a night boat trip to Juneau AK there was no moon and an incredible star show in the dark. The unmarred night sky is quite spectacular; too bad very few Americans ever get to see it.

[sirenwerks]

When I lived in New Mexico there were days that even the lights of Albuquerque couldn't hold back the stars.

[GN63]

When I lived in New Mexico there were days that even the lights of Albuquerque couldn't hold back the stars.

I agree, I have never seen so many stars as the nights I have stayed just outside of Santa Fe - really incredible

[nkalanaga]

In Pasco, WA, in the 60s and early 70s, the stars were visible from most of the residential areas.  People there/then weren't afraid of the dark like they are in Appalachia.