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Best aurora gets better Light show to hit peak of 11-year cycle in 2013Lyndsay Herman Northern News Services Published Monday, January 14, 2013
This year, the sun will reach a solar maximum, meaning it reaches the peak of an 11-year solar activity cycle. The increased activity means a greater likelihood and longer displays of the aurora at its most vibrant.
"Yellowknife is well positioned directly beneath the aurora oval, this sort of ring of geomagnetic activity which is where the particles tend to pour into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the release of energy in the form of light, which we call aurora," said James Pugsley, president of Astronomy North. "The reason that 2013 is going to be a great year for aurora viewing in Yellowknife is because there is going to be more solar wind heading our way and there will be periods of intense activity as a result of heightened solar activity." Pugsley said it's actually rare for an entire night to pass without some aurora activity in the NWT and even during the last solar minimum around 2002, where over 200 days passed without a single sun spot, Yellowknife still saw aurora activity. The aurora maximum in 2013 is expected to be the lowest in decades, but that doesn't mean a whole lot for this territory's night sky. "During the previous maximum (around 2002) we had an average of let's say 120 sun spots on the sun on average per month and now currently it's about 65 sun spots per month so the maximum now is much lower than it was previously," said Robert Saint-Jean, a solar and earth scientist with the Canadian Space Agency. However, Saint-Jean added that Yellowknife is the best spot in Canada to view the aurora and, while spectacular displays may not happen as frequently as they did during the last solar maximum, they still have the potential to be as vibrant when they do and will be more frequent than in recent years. "The truth is sub-storms happen through processes on an ongoing basis," said Pugsley. "You have auroras going on above Yellowknife and sub-storm activity going on above Yellowknife during solar minimum and solar maximum. It's just that the auroras during solar maximum can be more intense and have a longer duration as a result of incoming particles from the sun." Saint-Jean said scientists aren't exactly clear on why the 2013 maximum will be less active than those of the past and the issue is a hot topic in the scientific community. "It was a surprise," he said. "There are several factors pointing to a lower maximum but the reason for that is not understood very well. "There is lots of research going on in Canada on that topic and we're trying to understand that." Aurora tourism on the rise Meanwhile, Brian Desjardins, executive director of NWT Tourism, said the solar maximum has been a great opportunity to promote tourism abroad but stresses the organization has been careful to inform potential visitors that the territory is always an aurora hot spot. "We don't want a potential client to think that this is the only time or the best time to see the aurora," he said. "We don't want them to think that after the solar max is done, they're not going to be as fantastic." Desjardins said the number of people who came to Yellowknife to view the aurora increased by nine per cent in 2012 over 2011. Currently, aurora tourists are primarily from Japan but NWT Tourism is seeing an increase in viewers from Australia, China and from across Canada, he said. Pugsley said Astronomy North intends to launch a pilot Northern Lighthouse project this fall to help connect Yellowknife visitors and residents with the aurora. Within the project, miniature lighthouses will be placed around town and will shine a green beacon when the conditions are right for an impressive aurora display.
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