Aurora - have you got Aurora?

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cackleberry Nov 2023 12:15pm, 6 Nov 2023 3,271 posts	0 cackleberry We had an alert but too cloudy to the north. Need to mess with my phone to see if I can improve the exposure time. This is also on my 'must see' list.
Fields Nov 2023 12:49pm, 6 Nov 2023 10,282 posts	0 Fields I keep meaning to go up the moors, a 20 min drive or so, am quite far south but think I’m more likely to go up there in winter when sunset isn’t so late Might need to see what my phone can do with an exposure, would a Timelapse work?
paulcook Nov 2023 12:58pm, 6 Nov 2023 3,630 posts	0 paulcook In terms of north/south, last night was supposedly visible from all the UK. And I did see one photo from Slovakia from memory, which is about as far south than anywhere on mainland Britain and a good 150 miles or so south of London for example. Whether we get as good an opportunity as that again is another thing entirely. I keep hoping for an opportunity during a night run on the North Yorks moors but had nothing as of yet. Had plenty of cloudless wonderful starlit nights last winter but no Aurora on the right days yet and I've been waiting for at least 5 years now!
Cerrertonia Nov 2023 1:14pm, 6 Nov 2023 19,879 posts	0 Cerrertonia Timelapse is the right general thing but basically it's about collecting very faint light against a very dark background over enough time that you see something. Many phones have clever software which also does things like taking the rotation of the earth into account when you take really long exposures. My phone has an astrophotography setting that will take a 4 minute exposure, which gives a really clear view of the Milky Way for example, but iPhones, and Android phones from e.g. Samsung or Huawei have their own special modes. Obviously this means that you have to either have a tripod, or (as I did yesterday) point the phone in the right general direction while it was propped up on a rock.
RooA Nov 2023 1:33pm, 6 Nov 2023 2,357 posts	0 RooA HellsBells, we have lapwings but not sure about waxwings. I'm rubbish at burds though, what do waxwing look like? Aurora from last winter. 10 second exposure on phone, no tripod. Hence a bit blurred. 😆 To the naked eye it was white, quite clear though, once eyes had adjusted, and you could see pillars of light moving.
paulcook Nov 2023 1:50pm, 6 Nov 2023 3,631 posts	0 paulcook To the naked eye it was white, quite clear though, once eyes had adjusted, and you could see pillars of light moving. Interesting. So to the naked eye, it looks almost nothing like what the camera shows? And yours is an excellent picture. I've seen some in the past which is barely a small stripe of green or orange hue.
HellsBells Nov 2023 1:58pm, 6 Nov 2023 32,169 posts	0 HellsBells RooA wildlifetrusts.org They come over from Scandinavia in search of berries, usually only a few but occasionally thousands of them. They’re mainly seen in Scotland and NE England, but in a good year spread much further. We had them in cambridge in 2015 - the only time I’ve ever seen them
RooA Nov 2023 2:01pm, 6 Nov 2023 2,359 posts	0 RooA I think it can, rarely, show the colours to the naked eye. But I think it has to be very strong and very clear and very dark. I know people who say they have seen it looking closer to what is in photos. But it does seem to be a once in a lifetime spot, even for people here. I suspect Scandinavians see the colours more often.
RooA Nov 2023 2:03pm, 6 Nov 2023 2,360 posts	0 RooA Oh wow, HellsBells, those are pretty! I will be on the look out.
paulcook Nov 2023 2:07pm, 6 Nov 2023 3,632 posts	0 paulcook Thank you RooA