aurora-borealis

All posts tagged aurora-borealis

A fantastic night of Northern Light

Posted by Photonstopper on October 21, 2024
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A panoramic view of the aurora borealis peak as viewed from rural Medina County, Ohio. The display is reflected in the still waters of a small lake.

It began on Tuesday, October 8, when a sunspot called AR3848 flared explosively over the course of several hours. The detonation hurled a large and powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) Earthward from Sun. On Thursday, October 10 the magnetically-charged solar plasma hit Earth’s geomagnetic field and fireworks erupted. According to SpaceWeather.com the aurora borealis was seen as far south as Puerto Rico!

I headed out to a remote county park location, where I have permission to be after dark, and was fortunate enough to be ready when a significant surge in activity occurred — around 10 PM EDT. That peak was amazing with colors, shapes, and movement visible across the entire northern horizon. It was particularly cool to see pillars appearing and disappearing in real time. Light from the aurora reflected upon the still waters of the park’s lake. Adding to the quiet, magical mood, were occasional calls in the darkness from perched birds, as if asking “who’s there?”. A wood duck, out on the lake, piped a note that echoed its solitude.

During peak activity, looking east, we see intense red crowning a curved green ring, the Northern Lights reflected from the surface of still lake water.

The auroral surge went on for probably a bit more than half an hour, challenging me to select a spot to photograph. First one area would glow, then one at the other end of the bow-shaped display, pillars of light would appear like searchlights, then fade away. A thrill to witness as light, movement, and delicate colors were visible to the unaided eye. The camera picked up more than my poor eyes could see but I say without reservation this was the grandest aurora I’ve witnessed.

The western end of the coronal arc appeared strongest, as viewed from Medina County, through most of the evening. Here, during the surge, we see the full range of auroral colors, curtain-like waves of shape, and pillars that look like they reach the ground or might be mistaken for searchlights projecting from the ground. Photo by James Guilford.

All evening there seemed to be more intense activity over the western end of the aurora; that was verified by relatives in northwest Ohio whose photos showed a sky full of color directly overhead. 

Although some observers were concerned that moonlight might drown out the aurora, that was not a problem during the peak or as it began to subside. This image shows the waxing Moon, low to the western horizon, with colorful patches of glowing sky nearby.

While I was at the lake I heard others coming and going from the park, pretty much the entire time I was there. A young couple eventually ventured away from the parking lot and encountered me at my spot around 11:30, seeking what I had found — a dark spot near the water. Their arrival had been delayed by a camera gone bad, and they had gone home to pick up another. Things petered out not long after the peak and, checking NOAA resources, it looked like the auroral ring was retreating back north. The couple had missed the best of the night and I, with frozen fingers and toes, I headed home.

I submitted a couple of my photos to the local newspaper and the editor selected one for use on Page 1. Although color was subtle when the October 10 display was viewed by eye, cameras intensified the brightness and color. I boosted the color even more for use by the paper as, when printed, it loses a bit. This digital version of the page is even brighter than the others shown here.





Aurorae: Wonders in the Sky

Posted by Photonstopper on May 15, 2024
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Photos and Images by James Guilford

My first DSLR shot of the night turned out to be the most spectacular. This is a view looking northward from the city of Medina, Ohio.

It turned out to be a stronger impact than forecast, and the strongest thus far of this solar activity cycle; the geomagnetic storm of May 10 – 11, 2024 produced auroras (Northern and Southern Lights) visible at night from locations nearly pole to pole.

The forecast of possible aurora prompted me to step outside at about 10 PM (EDT), when twilight had faded, to check the skies. At first I saw what I thought might be clouds but knowing auroras can be feeble, I watched. Sure enough, there was movement in those “clouds”.

To the unaided eye, the great aurora of May 10 looked like this — streaks of “cloud” with a bit of color. Watching the streaks closely, however, the observer could see them changing in size and shape more rapidly than simple cirrus.

Glancing overhead I saw what I found hard believe — aurora ray features directly overhead … at 41º latitude, a rare sight, indeed! Rushing back indoors, I pulled together camera, fisheye lens, and tripod and headed back out.

My first image of the night was from my iPhone 13. So little effort to see and record such an amazing view! It was exciting to be able to share this with the world in real time via social media!

The aurora still presented itself as cloudy streaks with, perhaps, hints of color. Now also armed with my smartphone, I activated its camera and aimed it at the sky. There on the screen, light amplified by the phone’s electronics, glorious, eye-popping colors filled the sky! I’d never before experienced an aurora like it.

A rare sight indeed is an aurora borealis streaking down from directly overhead at 41 degrees latitude! I’ve never before witnessed such a display.

Only occasionally, during the time I was out, did the aurora’s color become visible to me; apparently being just below the limits of my, and others’ visual perception. Another local observer noted color was more visible shortly before I stepped outside to check on things — the actual peak of the display must have happened as twilight was ending and before 10 p.m.

Colorful curtains lit the northeastern sky as the aurora re-surged from a quieter moment.

I observed and photographed the aurora from shortly after 10:00 until about 11:30 EDT and in that hour or so, the intensity faded and then re-surged before fading away which was my signal to shut down.. I might have stayed out longer but had a commitment for the next day — sleep was needed — so, satisfied I’d seen the phenomenon at its best, I put away the camera gear.

Looking north, find the “Big Dipper” tipped over as if pouring watercolors down on the land. The single dot visible near the center of this picture is the North Star, Polaris. Note how one can find Polaris by looking where the two stars of the dipper’s bowl point.

Knowing it would be all over the news, I submitted my most spectacular shot of the night to the local newspaper — a daily that publishes on Saturday but not Sunday. It was too late for the Saturday edition but the editor gave my photo a three-column, Page 1 spot on Monday.

Our Sun is still in its peak activity period, by some accounts it won’t hit solar maximum until some time in 2025, so there may be more auroras in our near future but this was one for the history books!