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Weather, twilight, and auroral observing from Spitsbergen in the polar winter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

D. A. R. Simmons ,
F. Sigernes  and
K. Henriksen
D. A. R. Simmons
Affiliation:
21 Dougalston Avenue, Milngavie G62 6AP
F. Sigernes
Affiliation:
University Courses on Svalbard (UNIS), 9170 Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
K. Henriksen
Affiliation:
The Auroral Observatory, University of Tromsπ, N-9001 Tromsπ, Norway
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Abstract

Despite the harshness of the weather, the winter months on Spitsbergen provide good opportunities for auroral observing. December is usually the cloudiest month, but it also has many short-lived periods of post-cyclonic clearing of excellent clarity. January, however, is the most favourable month, with long periods of clear, dark skies due to the dominance of anticyclonic systems over the polar cap. February is also a very good month from the meteorological point of view, but observing opportunities are much more restricted by increasing twilight, especially in the latter half of the month. The most frequently observed types of aurora are patchy prenoon aurora, noontime or cusp aurora, discrete postnoon arcs, discrete polar-cap aurora, and substorm aurora. Diffuse polar-cap (polar glow) aurora and storm-type aurora are also seen occasionally but only at times of great geomagnetic disturbance.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 32 , Issue 182 , July 1996 , pp. 217 - 228
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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References

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