I want to see them so much! Someday ...
There are a number of aurora notification system, just search 'aurora' with 'alert' 'email' and/or 'notification'. Aurorachasers.com was good, but I haven't looked at it in years and something is wrong with the site at the moment I guess. 'The Aurora Alarm' will actually email your phone, but is targeted for western US, you'd only get notified late night if your eastern.
Anyway, as it happens, we just had one on New Year's Eve. This is the best time of year to see one, and the included links should let you determine your viewability based on location. The just sign up for one of the alerts, and wait patiently.
site gives a good guess on your viewing locations, in terms of magnetic latitude: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Aurora/index.html
The Aurora Alarm: http://www.keteu.org/~haunma/aurora/index.html
The last link (the actual link) is the same as the first one but sends you directly to the subscription page, so you can get emails, it's free it repeatedly refers to it's self as a 'product' and 'costumers' for some reason, but it just the national weather service using weird lingo. I just signed up for it myself so I can't testify how good it is, but swpc is the site the various aurora chasers get there data from in the first place, so it's definetly the horse's mouth.
Hope this helps you (and anyone else reading this), good luck.
PS. Similiar notification systems exist for meteor showers and comets. We're actually in one right now, it peaks on Feb 8, but it's not a big one, next really good one is in april, warmer too then.
Thanks! I am a big fan of the NOAA. I love their current watches and warnings map with all the colors ... so much fun.
Unfortunately, I am currently living in a magnetic latitude in the low 50s near a big city that's usually covered in perpetual clouds. No aurorae for me, I think, not unless there's a magnetic storm. But someday!
Insert theme music here.
Question about the Aurora Borealis
28/01/2010 02:39:37 PM
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... I suppose it could be an artifact relating to that the magnetic pole is not the same thing...
28/01/2010 02:52:45 PM
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You seem to be right - apparently the magnetic pole is on the northern Canadian islands.
28/01/2010 03:35:30 PM
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The magnetic pole is in Canada right now so that could be a factor
28/01/2010 05:09:37 PM
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It has nothing to do with where the magnetic pole is
29/01/2010 07:39:11 AM
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Holy crap! That's all waaay above MY head
30/01/2010 08:25:36 AM
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Hahaha that's a good one.
30/01/2010 03:20:31 PM
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There I can help
30/01/2010 04:28:01 PM
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Dude, that's awesome!
04/02/2010 01:30:46 AM
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It's common enough that it's not a big deal in the three places I mentioned...
29/01/2010 06:14:00 AM
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You didn't see AB
28/01/2010 02:59:57 PM
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Canadians have fireworks?
28/01/2010 04:17:01 PM
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Well they used to be worried that Qubec would surrender if the used fireworks.
28/01/2010 05:11:05 PM
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Fireworks were the second thing they started importing (after food, of course. )
28/01/2010 07:36:19 PM
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Does Tim live in a big city?
28/01/2010 03:23:11 PM
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I've seen 'em in Ann Arbor.
28/01/2010 06:20:53 PM
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Really? because i live in north oakland county(30 mins from Flint) and i have never seen them. *NM*
31/01/2010 10:48:19 PM
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You certainly can see it in scotland, there's a famous folk song about it
29/01/2010 07:02:46 AM
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Probably a combination of Edinburgh, light pollution and the fact it's almost always raining. *NM*
30/01/2010 10:59:55 AM
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