Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

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Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by marktownley »

Festive greetings all from Iceland, we flew out here last week, but since then have had fairly grey, cold and cloudy conditions to contend with. Yesterday skies cleared and despite the moon got a brief view of the aurora. I'll put a few taster pics but all are on flickr now so have a look there.

ImageIMG_0440 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

ImageIMG_0437 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

ImageIMG_0426 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

Apologies for being quiet of late, my laptop well and truly died a couple of weeks ago, but being a creative chap got an even older one up and running but this one is so slow its unreal. I need to get a new one when I get back in the UK.

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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by Carbon60 »

Hi Mark,

I'm so glad you managed to see the Aurora. A beautiful river of green.

Stu.


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by Derek Klepp »

Thanks Mark.


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by dvoss »

Lovely pictures Mark. Aurora hunting seems a good option when the sun isn't cooperative. Whereabouts in Iceland?

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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by Montana »

Wow! these are really lovely :bow next winter I have to go on a snowy and aurora hunting trip :)
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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by Carbon60 »

Hi Mark,

I don't know what time you were out 'hunting', but here's what the geomagnetic environment was doing on Boxing day evening. It looks like you might have hit the jackpot with an anomalous spike in geomagnetic activity from the tail end of a fast flowing solar wind stream.
20171226_Coronal Hole.jpg
20171226_Coronal Hole.jpg (155.19 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by ffellah »

Beautiful images, Mark. I hope to see the aurora one day too.... maybe on a trip to Iceland.

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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by pedro »

Great images Derek, I'm very jealous


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by MapleRidge »

Great catches Mark :bow

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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December

Post by marktownley »

Thanks everyone, you were bang on the nail with your detective skills Stuart! ;) That's exactly the time I was out. Can I use the graph on my blog when I do a write up of it please?

Last night (wednesday) was much quieter, but I did get a few nice images after midnight (early thursday morning) when there was a few spikes of activity. Temperatures were -9c, but with no wind being outside was pleasantly bearable dressed properly.

ImageIMG_0447 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

ImageIMG_0462 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

ImageIMG_0475 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

Again, there are more on Flickr if you want to see. These were taken in Hvalfjordur in Western Iceland, we're about an hour and half out of Reykjavik. Clear skies forecast again tonight so I shall be looking.

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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by Carbon60 »

Excellent correlation then ;).

Of course, Mark, no problem with you using the graphics.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Stu.


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by christian viladrich »

Beautiful images Mark. What camera / lens combination did you use ?


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by Carbon60 »

Hi Mark,

Here's a hi-res version (1 second cadence) of the magnetic declination data at the time of the event.

Please use as you wish. :)
20171226_Hi-Res.jpg
20171226_Hi-Res.jpg (97.33 KiB) Viewed 2390 times
Stu.


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by rsfoto »

Hi Mark,

Excellent images and that is what is still on my bucket list

:shock:


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by Valery »

Hi Mark

Thanks for such good images!

Valery


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by Montana »

I'm loving these! I hope you get more tonight :)
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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by marktownley »

Thanks everyone for the kind words, and thanks for the additional plot Stu. Equipment used here is my (10yr+) Canon 350D, iso 800, 30s and a Sigma 10-20mm zoom on 10mm f4. Onto thursday night and the forecast has been calling for progressively lower and lower activity with each passing day, however my exerience tells me to take this with a pinch of salt and if you want to see aurora just keep looking. We were doing this all evening and after a couple of hours of nothing just as I was making food there was a sudden bright very active burst of activity which we watched through the window. Eating our tea and getting dressed up for the -9c temperatures we headed out but activity was fading, the moon was getting brighter so it served to light up the foreground nicely. It was a display of rays rather than arcs with a slight but subtle green glow to the northern sky...

ImageIMG_0485 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

ImageIMG_0494 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

ImageIMG_0505 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

Last chance for photos tonight before we get back on the big bird to Blighty...


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by ffellah »

Great additions, Mark ! I love this last one. It almost looks like a sign from a superior entity ....

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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by Montana »

Fantastic! what a magical Christmas you are having :hamster:
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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by marktownley »

Thanks both of you. Last night here tonight and the forecast activity is looking really low. I will keep an open though just incase.


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by Derek Klepp »

Mark great updates and the Landrover will be an icon to remember (I heard they,ve stopped making Defenders).Hot and humid down here.


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Re: Boxing Day Aurora 26th December (Updated)

Post by marios i. »

Beautiful, beautiful images Mark!

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