Good aurora viewing predicted for Anchorage in coming nights

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute is forecasting "extreme" northern lights activity for Thursday night and more on the way. Combined with weather predictions calling for clear skies over Anchorage, it could make for good aurora viewing.
NASA reported that exceptionally large solar flares occurred Tuesday, interfering with radio navigation and shortwave radio signals. On Wednesday morning, the auroral activity index at the institute's aurora forecast website hit 5 and 6 on a scale of 0 to 9, 9 being most active.
Similar high readings are expected to continue through Friday after a second "large solar event" early Wednesday that occurred more closely to the Earth-Sun line, said the forecast, and which should produce more activity. Debris from that event was expected to reach Earth late Wednesday and early Thursday. Activity should peak Thursday night to Friday morning.
Weather permitting, the lights should be visible over most of Alaska, from Barrow to Kodiak and including all of Southeast. The intensity on Wednesday morning was high enough that the lights could be seen in the Lower 48. The institute is predicting similar or stronger conditions starting Thursday night.
The forecast for Wednesday night calls for "active" aurora activity reaching level 4 and likely growing more intense after midnight.
More information and a short-term forecast can be viewed at www.gi.alaska.edu/auroraforecast.
As it turns out, the aurora borealis isn't the only phenomenon worth watching in the sky right now. For the past two months, the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, have been visible near each other in the western sky shortly after sunset.
By March 9, the pair -- often confused with stars -- will be less than 5 degrees apart. That's about the width of three fingers held at arm's length. From March 12 to 14 they'll close to 3 degrees. Venus, the Earth's cloudy sister planet, will be noticably brighter.
Starting March 25, the crescent moon will join the two planets in a celestial threesome.
The Venus-Jupiter show will close in mid-April, when Jupiter goes too low on the horizon to be seen after sunset, though Venus, the "evening star," will remain visible.
Not that Alaskans are likely to care about the night sky by then. On April 15 we'll have almost 15 hours of daylight. Sunset won't happen until 9:24 p.m. and twilight will linger until well past 10 p.m.