Kp5 Aurora photos

[OzEclipse]

I am in Norway. We are using Tromsø as a staging post while preparing to go to Svalbard for the total solar eclipse next Friday.

We are staying on a farm out of town spotting aurora. This Kp5 aurora descended almost right on top of us last night. It was my first night of aurora observation aside from a couple of meek glows on the horizon seen from Australia. We had about 2 hrs of fainter streamers then we assume the flare they had been talking about in the predictions arrived.

This was an absolutely wonderful display lighting the landscape around us. The bright Kp5 event continued for over an hour. Before and after we were treated to fainter but still fascinating all sky Kp4 events.

To give those who have not seen an aurora before an idea of how dynamic it is, these three images were taken over a 30 second period.

Details : All images
Pentax K5
Pentax 10mm full frame fisheye (180 deg diagonal field)
2s f3.5 ISO 6400

IMAGES

KP5 level EVENT
9420 11:17:31 UT
9422 11:17:43 UT
9423 11:17:57 UT

Cheers

Joe

[geolindon]

:eyepop: WOAH

Thanks Joe, awesome photos really spectacular, to be under it like that must be overpowering.

Great trip, enjoy the eclipse. L

[Peter Ward]

So am I! But not for the TSE. Headed to Tromso on the 20th. Hopefully will some Aurora as well :thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

awesome!!

[mbaddah]

Beautiful photos! Must have been quite an experience. I'm hoping to make a trip down there myself sometime this/next year.Thank you for sharing.

[Ric]

Wonderful Joe

I reckon that would have to be a memorable experience standing underneath that display.

Cheers

[OzEclipse]

Ric, Mohammed, David and Lindon,
Thanks for your comments. Yes it was awesome and a bit lucky. Out of five nights here there have been two clear nights and two short high intensity auroral storms. The two need to line up. I consider myself vey fortunate.


Peter,

Good luck in Tromso.

Solar flares on Mar 14/15 should arrive at 3rd rock next Thursday, Friday.

The sun will be 95% obscured. The thin solar crescent will do a nice little pirouette around the solar limb during the max eclipse.

If you want the details of the farm out on Kvaloya where I am staying out of Tromso PM me however the best way(and most exhausting) to get clear skies is to stay in Tromso and drive out in different directions to the best weather each night. This farm is much easier & more comfortable. If the aurora is overhead you have to go outside. If it is south east or west, you can sit inside and watch it through 2m high windows. Most guests at the property seem to want to watch the lights so all the outdoor lighting goes off at night.

Joe

[RickS]

Great pics, Joe. It must have been very bright.

[OzEclipse]

Hi Rick,

Hard if not impossible to estimate an integrated magnitude on something so big.

It lit the ground, not as brightly as a full moon but much brighter than Venus does so between the two. We could see colour in the aurora directly with cone vision, greens and tinges of red/pink.

At times the fainter events are very slow moving but the bright descending ones are very dynamic dancing around the sky. I was mesmerized for hours.

Something every astronomer should have on their bucket list. Tick!

Joe

[RickS]

I did a trip a couple of years ago, Joe, and we saw the Aurora several times from a couple of locations in Norway but it was never bright enough to show much colour visually. Came up a treat in short camera exposures, of course.

Cheers,
Rick.

[Derek Klepp]

Fantastic Joe really appreciate these pics and good luck with the TSE

[PacoYepes]

:eyepop::eyepop: fantastic

[astronobob]

Magic scenes, fantastic captures, must of been insane to see the display live and vertually directly underneath it - very fortunate and thanx for sharing,