Here we are, sinking back into the depths of another subarctic winter. October brought early snow and proved to be one of the coldest Octobers in recorded history. Oddly enough it made for a very nice fall. Once the trees finished turning brilliant yellows, reds and oranges the leaves dropped to the ground followed closely by snow falling to the ground. There was enough snow on the ground by mid-October to start cross country skiing. While this time of year is great for leaves falling and snow flying it is also one of the prime times to view the Aurora Borealis. Three factors play into this: 1) it's dark which means the Aurora can be seen if it's active, 2) it's cold but not too cold which means the night's sky is clearer but not unbearable to stand outside in for extended time periods and 3) planetary alignment is ideal for solar storms to activate the lights (trust me on this one, you don't want me to get started on the explanation). With all this in mind I went for a walk with my camera for a few hours a couple of nights ago to star gaze and hopefully see some Auroral activity. JACK POT! The forecast predicted a moderately active night which ended up being a bit off. It was one of the most active nights I've seen in a few years. Keep in mind when you look at the above picture that the color you see takes place 70-200 miles above the Earth's surface and moves like curtains in the wind.... a very dynamic process and aw inspiring. For more information check out http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Aurora Borealis
Here we are, sinking back into the depths of another subarctic winter. October brought early snow and proved to be one of the coldest Octobers in recorded history. Oddly enough it made for a very nice fall. Once the trees finished turning brilliant yellows, reds and oranges the leaves dropped to the ground followed closely by snow falling to the ground. There was enough snow on the ground by mid-October to start cross country skiing. While this time of year is great for leaves falling and snow flying it is also one of the prime times to view the Aurora Borealis. Three factors play into this: 1) it's dark which means the Aurora can be seen if it's active, 2) it's cold but not too cold which means the night's sky is clearer but not unbearable to stand outside in for extended time periods and 3) planetary alignment is ideal for solar storms to activate the lights (trust me on this one, you don't want me to get started on the explanation). With all this in mind I went for a walk with my camera for a few hours a couple of nights ago to star gaze and hopefully see some Auroral activity. JACK POT! The forecast predicted a moderately active night which ended up being a bit off. It was one of the most active nights I've seen in a few years. Keep in mind when you look at the above picture that the color you see takes place 70-200 miles above the Earth's surface and moves like curtains in the wind.... a very dynamic process and aw inspiring. For more information check out http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/
