The aurora from Sonoma County

[Diane_Miller]

I’ve posted a time lapse of the show on my web site. It condenses about 4 hours into a minute. There is an interval when nothing happens and then a final bit of activity.

Night Skies and the Sun - Diane Miller

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Description

Finally got it together for some aurora pictures. Just shot from the house as I had hoped to get the comet with the astro rig after sunset, but there was too much light in the sky before it set. Should have a couple of more chances in a few days, in between clouds.

There was some moonlight (seen in the last frame) but it set partway through. Got about 7 hrs of 4 sec exposures before the battery died but the early and late frames had very little happening. I assembled a video covering the best 4 hrs. No color or dancing detail like that at more northern latitudes.

Hope other people had some great captures!

Specific Feedback

All comments welcome!

Technical Details

Camera running on an intervalometer. Small increase in Whites in LR and cropped to 16:9 for export to a time lapse.

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[Youssef_Ismail]

Diane,

Great captures. It seems like the Auroras were quite low on the horizon for us here in N. Cal. I think you also managed to capture the SAR arc in the last photo of your three. That was all I really captured and did not see it my own eyes, but the camera sure did. I thought I was capturing the Aurora but alas, checking off the box on my bucket list will have to wait.

[Diane_Miller]

Yes, @Youssef_Ismail, that must be what the area near the top of that last frame is. I didn’t know about that phenomenon. Your captures of it were amazing!

I’ve edited the post to include a time lapse of the light show, such as it was.

[Diane_Miller]

@Youssef_Ismail, you are right – I went back to the raw files and the first exposure (before i cropped to do the time lapse) does show the arc – but not nearly as dramatically as you captured it. Here it is with exposure and contrast increased. Thanks so much for the information about it. I just assumed it was a weak area of aurora.

[Youssef_Ismail]

That is awesome Diane. Even thought we did not have as vivid and dramatic an aurora as other had around the country, catching the rare SAR arc was a great consolation.

[John_Williams]

Oh that’s fun! I love the star movement and the “stuff” that zips across the sky too.