Old Gus scratched the thin whiskers under his chin, looked out over the Gettysburg Battlefield, and shook his head. “Nope, not a good night for huntin’ spooks. Sun’s all wrong.”

For many of us who are new to ghost hunting, old Gus’s words are all too cryptic. What’s the sun got to do with it anyway? Don’t most ghost hunts occur at nighttime? As I would find out, the sun has a lot to do with it…even at nighttime.

Most researchers tend to believe that Spirit thrives on electromagnetic energy, such as the kind that is generated by a thunderstorm, or more potently, by solar activity. Andrew Calder, of the Georgia Paranormal Society, states that researchers tend to get very good results out in the field during geomagnetic storms. Why?

"I believe," says Calder, "that spirits use electromagnetic energy as one source of energy used to create phenomena and or manifest. They are, by nature, a form of energy. Things such as solar flares in space release large amounts of energy that they can tap into. Electrical storms release large amounts energy into the atmosphere, which is why you will have in some hauntings the client remarking that the manifestations are stronger during rain storms."

So, how does one know if there is that type of energy in the atmosphere? Most experts state that the general public could care less about the geomagnetic storms which occur on a frequent basis. We can neither feel or sense the storms, for the most part. However, the National Oceanographic and Aeronautic Association (NOAA) has a monitoring station which constantly monitors the geomagnetic storms on the Sun’s surface.

Many ghost hunting sites display the information on the storm status, but generally speaking, that information comes straight from the NOAA site. When you go to the site, what you will see will vary depending on the solar activity. Here are a few of the designations which you might find at any given time:

• Solar X-Rays. These occur when the sun ‘burps’. A flare is thrown from the sun’s surface only to crash back onto the Sun later. When this happens a reaction occurs and radiation is forced outward toward the Earth.

• Geomagnetic Storms. These, according to ghost hunters, are the most beautiful of occurrences. This occurs when charged particles from the Sun, carried by a solar wind, smack against the Earth, causing all sorts of magnetic field distortions, charging the air, just the way that ghosts like it.

• Moon Phase. Since the moon affects gravity and the magnetic pull on the tides, it also has an affect on the magnetic fields. Many report great success hunting right before, during or after a full moon. And you gotta love the ambiance.
  

Generally speaking, if the solar indicators state that everything is ‘normal’ then that means that there is very little activity on the Sun’s surface. This would be a good time to catch up on those late night reruns that you’ve missed because you’ve been out chasing ghosts!

What experienced ghost hunters tend to watch for are the readings that state that an M Class Flare, X Class Flare or (jump for joy) a Mega Flare has occurred. During these times, the chances of photographing or experiencing an encounter of the ghostly variety are high.

Geomagnetically speaking, the best times to hunt would be when there is a storm indication, though some researchers have had some success hunting during an ‘active’ reading. Quiet readings are, again, a great time to clean up your equipment from that last hunt you went on, or to look for your next cool place to investigate, like Gettysburg!

So, some night, armed with flashlight, trusty digital camera and loads of batteries, if the time is right, the atmosphere thick, I’m certain to run into old Gus, who takes ghost investigations seriously. What’s the sun got to do with it? Everything, dude, everything.