Aurora Australis, Mount Buffalo National Park, Australia. 17th of March 2013
This is the lookout below "The Horn" in the Mount Buffalo National Park. Over 180 degree panorama made from 8 portrait style images. The landscape is being lit by the light of the crescent moon which is the bright spot on the right of this image. Another one of my cameras is in the hut doing a timelapse (coming soon).
That's simply stunning.
Looks so surreal and out of this world, something like a panorama from Titan or some unknown planet.
What settings did you use?
Cheers
You guys are far too kind Thank you so much for the great feedback everyone. Really appreciate it and it makes me want to get up and go to these sort of locations, to capture more night scapes for you all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CDANVERS
We're going to have to build a shrine for you and images Greg. Awesome work
LOL Almost sounds like I'm dead.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by philiphart
This is a superb piece of work. And just when you think Greg Gibbs can't do any better!
What panorama software are you using? And which pano projection mode is this with?
Phil
I use PtGui Pro, Phil. I find that it handles these sort of difficult stitches with ease. Um? Not entirely sure which projection it was to be honest. It spat out this first go, and I didn't have to do much to it at all.......
.........Just restitched it again to find out, and it was 'Equirectangular'
Noting that you took 30 second exposures, you would have to have taken a few seconds to recompose the next image. If this was 8 panels, then, there's 4 minutes of exposure in total, and, a whole bunch of seconds for the recomposure for the next shot. Do you find that when stitching the panels that there's a bit of an error zone where the stars don't necessarily line up? Or, do you not worry about it, considering that it will only ever really be noticeable in print?
Just a few comments about this latest effort, and your earlier posting. You have captured probably more than you might realize. I've added a few lines to your "Aurora In The Alps" photo to highlight what I am talking about.
You will see a pair of curved lines at the top. These mark out a very weak "SAR Arc," also known as a 'proton' or 'hydrogen' arc. This is a quite rare auroral phenomenon and usally only occurs during strong geo-magnetic storms. In my experience Kp6 is the minimum level required to get one. The SAR arc is often sub-visual except where it meets the horizon.
The second picture attached is from the first time I encountered one, unfortunately without knowing it. This rough stitch of 5 photos was taken at the start of an all night Great Geo-magnetic Storm on March 31st, 2001. I used a 28mm (film) lens with 30 second exposures on 400 ISO Fuji Film. The bright red, curved horns on the left and right were actually the base of the SAR arc. The rest of this homgenous band passed through my zenith, if I had bothered to look! I think I was too mesmerised by the uplifted 'discrete' or 'green' arc. To see the discrete arc lift off the horizon is rare from here. If you have a close look you will see Corvus in the eastern SAR arc while Eridanus and Rigel are in the western end.
The 3rd line that I have added to your image is the top of the red rays coming off the discrete arc at the bottom. What looks connected in your image is actually a few hundred km's apart! In other words the SAR arc is well ahead (north) of the main display and therefore it appears higher.
During the Mar 31st 2001 storm the whole display remained stable but was steadily reducing in size, actually receeding southwards, for nearly three hours, then all hell broke loose! If you ever catch the "Breakup" of a major auroral storm then consider yourself really lucky. The first 'breakup' often occurs around 11p.m. (non-daylight time) locally and can last up to 40 mins. There can be several 'breakups' in a night.
This sunspot cycle may have another peak to it going by this last display so hopefully we will all get a chance to catch aurora australis again (with apologies to those too far north to see them.)
Thank you so much for the great feedback everyone. Really appreciate it and it makes me want to get up and go to these sort of locations, to capture more night scapes for you all.
Almost sounds like I'm dead..... 
