Maggie Terlecki
Moderator
I'd thought I'd share my Aurora sighting with you that I had last night.
Around 1:30am, on my way to bed, as I approached the steps, I could see what appeared to be beams of light from the hall window. It is a difficult window to look out of so I sauntered off into the kitchen to get a better look and lo and behold, before me, the wonderful red and orange beams of light filled the northern sky.
I couldn't believe it. I had seen the Aurora Borealis before (but so many years ago) on a cold winter night, but never like this. It usually is more of a lime green cloud that meanders through the sky but never had I seen red and orange and beams straight up from the horizon. Incredible.
Wearing nothing more than a robe, I put on my winter coat, slipped on Simon's size 12 shoes over my bare feet, grabbed my camera that is always on my desk and forged out into the snow, knowing well ahead of time that it was a balmy -20C out!
No time for a tripod, as I had no idea when they would fade so the pictures I took were all hand-held at ISO 3200 and 1/8th of a second shutter speed. Although I am not a night nor an astro-photographer, I know enough to realize that I would be better served with a tripod, a low-iso and very slow shutter speed. I think most people put it on bulb and let it go for 7-20 and even sometimes 30 seconds. The lights were so bright though, I thought I could pull it off.
Unfortunately, the view is not one that will get any ooohs or aaaahs as it is shot between trees and the garage and not of a lake or mountains but I still wanted to share this moment that to me was just delightful.
It was very cold and I couldn't stay out long as my fingers were freezing but once I came back in, and put away the coat and put my hands under warm water for a few moments, I returned to the window and it had all disappeared. What serendipity that I caught it out of the corner of my eye as I would have missed this incredible spectacle.
Here, one of my photos, (technically not very good and I know it) that I thought a few of you may enjoy
seeing anyways.
Around 1:30am, on my way to bed, as I approached the steps, I could see what appeared to be beams of light from the hall window. It is a difficult window to look out of so I sauntered off into the kitchen to get a better look and lo and behold, before me, the wonderful red and orange beams of light filled the northern sky.
I couldn't believe it. I had seen the Aurora Borealis before (but so many years ago) on a cold winter night, but never like this. It usually is more of a lime green cloud that meanders through the sky but never had I seen red and orange and beams straight up from the horizon. Incredible.
Wearing nothing more than a robe, I put on my winter coat, slipped on Simon's size 12 shoes over my bare feet, grabbed my camera that is always on my desk and forged out into the snow, knowing well ahead of time that it was a balmy -20C out!
No time for a tripod, as I had no idea when they would fade so the pictures I took were all hand-held at ISO 3200 and 1/8th of a second shutter speed. Although I am not a night nor an astro-photographer, I know enough to realize that I would be better served with a tripod, a low-iso and very slow shutter speed. I think most people put it on bulb and let it go for 7-20 and even sometimes 30 seconds. The lights were so bright though, I thought I could pull it off.
Unfortunately, the view is not one that will get any ooohs or aaaahs as it is shot between trees and the garage and not of a lake or mountains but I still wanted to share this moment that to me was just delightful.
It was very cold and I couldn't stay out long as my fingers were freezing but once I came back in, and put away the coat and put my hands under warm water for a few moments, I returned to the window and it had all disappeared. What serendipity that I caught it out of the corner of my eye as I would have missed this incredible spectacle.
Here, one of my photos, (technically not very good and I know it) that I thought a few of you may enjoy
seeing anyways.
