What an incredible storm we had November 11-13, 2025! We have been so excited to see the beautiful pictures and thrilling sightings you had from all over the world! We have an amazing community, and we are so grateful for every report. We are also often approached by aurora chasers who ask, “What are you… Read More »A wish list for aurora reports
Since the May 10-11 aurora superstorm, a frequent question we have received is “what makes a good report? What makes a good photo?” While all reports are amazing, the answer may surprise you! In this post we’ll walk you through things to include, go behind the scenes on how data is cleaned for scientific use,… Read More »What goes into an Aurorasaurus report, and what can we learn together?
There’s nothing quite like the disappointment when a promising CME fizzles out, or when clouds obscure the sky during a magnificent aurora display (we feel for you in the Pacific Northwest!) Experienced aurora chasers point out that such fickleness is part of the excitement, and that’s true! The reason that the question “when can I… Read More »Negative Aurora Reports Are a Plus For Science!
by Laura Brandt (with lots of help from Dr. Liz!) Since joining Aurorasaurus, I have learned a lot about auroras and the ways aurora chasers and scientists describe them. I’ve been taking notes and want to share my list of key terms—by a newbie, for newbies, and reviewed by a subject matter expert—as a big… Read More »PANTS ON: A Newbie’s Guide to Aurora Terms
Laura here! I am an aurora enthusiast, but new to the science side. Fortunately, the Aurorasaurus blog and website are full of great resources that I’ll be sharing out as I cultivate my knowledge. One of these is the Space Weather Data page, a graph that shows the strength of solar wind power. In short,… Read More »Laura Learns Aurora: I’ve Got the Power!
In Spring, the Aurorasaurus Reawakens! During Solar Minimum, even Aurorasauruses hibernate a little. But with new funding, Aurorasaurus is coming back with an update! Over the next months, you’ll see updates to our website and tools. This status update is current as of May 1, 2020. Behind the Scenes The mastermind behind this revitalization is… Read More »In Spring, the Aurorasaurus Reawakens!
Over the past decade, Aurorasaurus has grown from a persistent idea in the mind of Dr. Liz MacDonald to a worldwide initiative that has contributed research and discoveries to aurora science. At its heart, Aurorasaurus is a community effort, only possible through the contributions of thousands of citizen scientists, scientific experts, team members and volunteers.… Read More »It Takes a Community to Raise Aurorasaurus: Gratitude and Retrospective
Aurora only occur in particular areas of the world and are highly unpredictable which are some of the reasons why many people feel fortunate to see them at all. And, for the majority of known human history, you could only experience the beauty and mystique of aurora in person. Not anymore! Recently, the first virtual… Read More »Check out Virtual Reality Aurora!
For hundreds of years, aurora sightings have left people intrigued – for both their beauty and unpredictability. In any moment, they can surprise us as bright flashes of light in the night sky, dark above us. They appear like unexpected gifts, made of colorful swaths of light, dancing above us. In a dance that sometimes looks more like… Read More »How we are improving real time alerts, and your viewing lines
Are you interested in becoming more involved with Aurorasaurus? We’re currently looking for ambassadors who want to introduce Aurorasaurus to their local communities that are interested in auroras, such an aurora photography group or a university department!