NUFORC Sighting 12548

Occurred: 2000-04-06 20:00 Local
Reported: 2000-04-06 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 2 hrs.
No of observers: 0

Location: Chattanooga, TN, USA

Shape: Other

I am a TV Meteorologist in CHattanooga, and I received a number of calls about the aurora borealis..This is rare in this part of the world..

I myself did not see it, but it was observed by an astronomy class and a U. of Tenn at Chattanooga professor..Also some calls from Dunlap TN. It was a a curtain of faint red along the ecliptic from West to east and changed in width. It did not cover the entire sky, may be 1/5 of the sky..I know this is not a UFO but it was rare for this part of the world..I heard earlier there was a powerful solar flare earlier on Thursday..

NUFORC Note:

We suspect that the report describes a display of the aurora borealis, which is very rare at the latitude indicated. The same phenomenon was reported on the same evening from southern New Jersey. The writer is correct with regard to a major coronal mass ejection from the Sun earlier on the same day.

Posted 2000-04-15