Aurora - have you got Aurora?

21 watchers

Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
Next
Last

Fields Nov 2023 2:11pm, 6 Nov 2023 10,284 posts	0 Fields 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. Thanks, the rock solution sounds more my style. Just need to get myself up there, the alerts come every so often but yet to have one at a moment when I could drop everything and get up to a good location
Cerrertonia Nov 2023 2:17pm, 6 Nov 2023 19,883 posts	0 Cerrertonia Just need to get myself up there, the alerts come every so often but yet to have one at a moment when I could drop everything and get up to a good location Bit of preparation to learn how to use the phone camera is key - if you can get a good picture of the stars, you're ready to go.
westmoors Nov 2023 3:16pm, 6 Nov 2023 7,855 posts	0 westmoors I saw the Aurora in February whilst on a Norwegian cruise. With the naked eye it just looked like clouds with a greenish tinge. The photos were something else.
Fields Nov 2023 3:18pm, 6 Nov 2023 10,289 posts	0 Fields Bit of preparation to learn how to use the phone camera is key - if you can get a good picture of the stars, you're ready to go. Now that I can do quite easily when there’s a clear night
Cerrertonia Nov 2023 6:01pm, 6 Nov 2023 19,892 posts	0 Cerrertonia lightpollutionmap.info is quite interesting in terms of finding dark skies.
paulcook Nov 2023 6:08pm, 6 Nov 2023 3,635 posts	0 paulcook What a wonderful (though emotionally frustrating!) map. Though it raises questions too!!
JenHB Nov 2023 9:34pm, 11 Nov 2023 1,835 posts	0 JenHB I can remember seeing aurora from the roof of the physics building in Durham in 2005!
Flatlander Dec 2023 9:27am, 1 Dec 2023 2,993 posts	0 Flatlander Following the M.9.94 symmetric, full halo, earth directed Coronal Mass Ejection on 28th November I've been waiting for it to arrive. At that magnitude, an aurora could well be visible in the Cambridge area. It seems that this CME has originated from the same area of the sun that gave the widespread aurora at the beginning of November which was well observed as far south as southern England (and allegedly even Turkey! ), and was written about on this thread. My app is still showing it as arriving at 19.52 CMT tomorrow evening, although other (mainly US) websites were predicting it to hit earth today. Something big (Kp7) did arrive at about 05:30 this morning but it was too misty so I didn't bother going to look. It is not clear from reports in the last couple of hours this morning whether that was the M9.94 flare, or the preceding weaker (but still strong) filaments and the M9.94 still has to arrive. I could well be using my internet a lot today and tomorrow.
Cerrertonia Dec 2023 10:10am, 1 Dec 2023 20,084 posts	0 Cerrertonia Flatlander, I have friends who photographed the aurora from a dark location near Little Downham last week (Nov 25th). Fingers crossed for clear skies and a good display.
Cerrertonia Dec 2023 7:18pm, 1 Dec 2023 20,090 posts	0 Cerrertonia Very clear over the snow.