Northernlights

JeLeAk · Oct 8, 2005

we had some Northerlights showing here in Ak. last night and i was lucky enough to snap a few pics i am rather pleased at my first attempt at it

LaFoto · Oct 9, 2005

Awww. Northern Lights.
I so want to see them for once with my own eyes. I only know them from photos.

Do they show much brighter in photos than they are in reality?
For how long did you have to expose to get these?
I like the Big Dipper (is that the name?) in the first and the last

. It is about the only star constellation that I can recognise.

JeLeAk · Oct 9, 2005

the photos do the northerlights justice on these pics i think, they kinda fade in and out as far as brightness somtimes they are really faint and you really have to be looking to see them and other times they stick out like a sore thumb... often times on like discovery they show it really "dancing" i have never seen northerlights like that, the only time i have seen them is like in the pics above single colors that are just a big blob of light across the whole sky not really moving around

as far as exposer i had it at 2.5 seconds, in person the trees and skyline lights were not visable, but ehh i am still learning the night time picutre thing

and as far as the constilation, i duno but the big dipper is one that you can pick out of the sky pretty easy up here

yummifruitbat · Oct 9, 2005

I've never seen the Northern Lights either - but from what I remember of my 'Astronomer' scout badge (age 12, aww) that constellation would be the one we call the Plough in the UK. Looks like a saucepan to me

Apparently it's not actually a constellation, but an 'asterism', which forms part of the large constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Just mostly it's the only bit you can see, especially if you live in an urban area with lots of lovely light pollution :meh:

Nice shots btw!

toruonu · Oct 9, 2005

Well I have once seen really beautiful northern lights (aka auroras) here in Tallinn.

As we are quite up north, then we normally get nice auroras once per a few weeks during the winter, but mostly Murphy intervenes and the sky is clouded when the best ones are up.

But just once I was with an astronomer taking shots of northern lights and that was amazing, the dancing was plainly visible and it went on for hours. We didn't watch that long though as it was -30 degrees outside

Nice shots btw

pursuer · Oct 9, 2005

Nice shots, I'm envious. I especially like the first shot because it dosn't have a lot of foreground clutter.

yummifruitbat said:
I've never seen the Northern Lights either - but from what I remember of my 'Astronomer' scout badge (age 12, aww) that constellation would be the one we call the Plough in the UK. Looks like a saucepan to me

Apparently it's not actually a constellation, but an 'asterism', which forms part of the large constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Just mostly it's the only bit you can see, especially if you live in an urban area with lots of lovely light pollution :meh:

Nice shots btw!

You remember correctly, that asterism is commonly called the plough in Europe as well as the big dipper in North America

SlySniper · Oct 9, 2005

Wow, those are amazing. Was that the only color?

I wish I was there....

BrettG · Oct 9, 2005

Great shots. I've taken two trips to Alaska over the past two years, but unfortunately they were both during the summer so I couldn't see the northern lights. I need to make another trip back during the winter some day.

I'd love to see more shots of these as you keep getting better at night shots.

Peanuts · Oct 9, 2005

You have officially inspired me to grab my camera next time I see them. Not sure fi they would be the same ones, but I did see several faint Northern Lights on Friday night, but they didn't appear half as fantastic as the oens you took pictures of. Three weeks ago I saw Northern Lights that 'danced' (not really in ribbons but they moved a fair bit) but they were plain white and it was 3 in the morning. I made the decision to not grab my camera. haha.

Wonderful pictures :thumbup: I love how you can see the Big Dipper in the background as some people mentioned.

PlasticSpanner · Oct 9, 2005

yummifruitbat said:
Apparently it's not actually a constellation, but an 'asterism', which forms part of the large constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Just mostly it's the only bit you can see, especially if you live in an urban area with lots of lovely light pollution :meh:

Nice shots btw!

:thumbup:
One of those niggles that bug me when people call the Big Dipper a constellation! Glad it's not just me being pedantic! :lol:

Great shots too! Not too easy to expose for when they are varying in brightness/intesity!:thumbup: I've gotta get up to North Norway again sometime to see these! LaFoto, Fancy a road trip? ! :lol:

doenoe · Oct 9, 2005

the things you learn on this forum eh.
A roadtrip............can i come too

I really want to see the lights in person some day.

And the pics are nice too, like the first one best. The other ones got to much happening on the forground.

JeLeAk · Oct 9, 2005

wow, thanks for the compliments guys...

i think next time i will try and get only the norhtern lights, my whole "theme" on these pictures was Urban Alaskan Wilderness

on that particular night, green was the only color out, i am hoping we will get some really intense ones this year... but living in the more southern part of the state we dont get to see many really bright/colorful nights unfortunately