Night shots and a hint of the Northern Lights!

sduk

sduk

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Sammy
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Last night the sky cleared briefly and I headed out to have a practice!

Despite the mega bright moon and clouds, I think I managed my first ever hint of the Northern Lights on the horizon!

These were with my Sony A77 and Tamron 10-24mm. All 30 seconds, 10mm, f3.5 ISO3200.



Forfar Nightscape by Sammy Donaldson, on Flickr

Forfar Nightscape by Sammy Donaldson, on Flickr

Forfar Nightscape by Sammy Donaldson, on Flickr


Currently saving for the Samyang 10mm f2.8 which should really help improve things :)

Sammy
 
Good shots there Sammy. I like the detail in the foreground.

It could be my monitor (or my eyes) but I can't find any Northern Lights. The first and third ones show, I'm fairly sure, the constellation of Cygnus which from its position relative to the horizon suggests the shots were taken looking more or less to the west. The lights do sometimes spread far over the sky as seen from the UK but it is comparatively unusual. The second shot is taken looking north which is a good direction for the lights but I can't find any. Still, good shots and with darker skies you'll pick up more stars and, as said, it could be my monitor.

For night shots the free to download, Stellarium, is useful and this is handy for Aurora info - http://www.aurora-service.eu/aurora-forecast/

Dave
 
they are all taken facing North(ish) the 1st and last pics are slightly north west.

I just thought the greenish tinge I can see one the left through the fence in the first pic, on the right through the trees in the second and on the left at the horizon in the last pic could be the northern lights?

I am a complete noob when it comes to this type of photography though so may well be wrong haha :D
 
might just be my laptop but like tringa i cant see any green glow
 
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When you see the northern lights you'll be in no doubt it's them! Beautiful sight to see.
 
Mondo74 said:
When you see the northern lights you'll be in no doubt it's them! Beautiful sight to see.
Click to expand...

I agree, I used to see them a lot when I was on ice breaking ships in the Gulf of St Lawrence in the winter, you definitely know you have seen them, oh for a digital camera in the 1970's.
 
Mondo74 said:
When you see the northern lights you'll be in no doubt it's them! Beautiful sight to see.
Click to expand...

The first time I saw them (Xmas day 2003 in Rekyavik) I wasn't sure at first. My friend said that she was sure there was some green near the horizon. But it was only when I took a long exposure that I agreed. Another half-hour later they were bright enough for me to see with the naked eye, but still weren't impressive. Then they quickly faded.

Luckily they were much better the following night, and I got some decent shots (one of which made Astronomy Now's picture of the month).
 
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I think you have a hint of them there. I see the feint green glow on the horizon.
I have had a couple of instances, where I've caught them inadvertantly on camera while shooting night scenes.
There is no way you'd be able to see those with the naked eye, but certainly once you process the file, it can become evident.
To see anything like the video above, you would have to be very lucky, and most likely in a more northerly position than the UK can offer. It is possible, but opportunities are few and far between.
 
MattyW said:
To see anything like the video above, you would have to be very lucky, and most likely in a more northerly position than the UK can offer. It is possible, but opportunities are few and far between.
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I once met a guy called Mike Harlow who, in March 2000, went to Alaska to photograph the aurora. And he got some great shots. He returned home (near Ipswich) and was astounded to find that the aurora had follwed him and that the display in Suffolk was almost as goos as those he'd seen a short while before in Alaska. Here's one of his images - http://www.oasi.org.uk/Obsvns/aurorae/20000406_aurora_1_MJH.jpg
 
hollis_f said:
I once met a guy called Mike Harlow who, in March 2000, went to Alaska to photograph the aurora. And he got some great shots. He returned home (near Ipswich) and was astounded to find that the aurora had follwed him and that the display in Suffolk was almost as goos as those he'd seen a short while before in Alaska. Here's one of his images - http://www.oasi.org.uk/Obsvns/aurorae/20000406_aurora_1_MJH.jpg
Click to expand...

Haha, thats exactly why I left the comment open with 'very lucky', 'most likely' and 'possible' - That looks like a hefty display on the shot you linked to.
It does happen, but your chances would be much much higher in more northerly climes. I've been out for the two strongest aurora showings in the UK this year, which are mixed up with a lot of failed trips (and lots of expense)
Its an unpredictable game, but really rewarding when you get the results.
North Wales and East Anglia do get decent showings, probably due to the lack of northerly light pollution. The Northumberland coast is another great spot for viewing, but so much depends on the luck of the solar winds, it aint a sure thing very often at all!!
 
MattyW said:
it aint a sure thing very often at all!!
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Try living 20 miles south of Gatwick. I've got a huge drive to get anywhere with a half-decent chance. Hence my trip to Iceland twelve years ago. I did go again a few years later but I wasn't able to take advantage of the one clear night.
 
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