The Great Aurora of May 2024

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by OzEclipse

I posted an image of sunspot group AR3664/AR3668 here:
https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/...e.php?a=317102

Aurora predictions were fantastic but examination of the ECMFW cloud model on Saturday was grim. Out here on the slopes and plains, that model is extremely accurate. I host groups out here several times a year and use that to postpone if clouds are predicted or give the go ahead for people to travel out here if predicted clear. Over the past 3 years and about a dozen events, I've never hosted people here and had them sit around in cloudy weather. Same for my own work. Always know whether it's worth setting up or not.

Based on the model prediction, I decided to take a 400km each way trip from Young out west to the Hay Plains driving out on Saturday afternoon, returning Sunday morning to escape the weather in the east. I left at 3pm arriving at 7pm. This allowed me to see whether the clearing change had arrived or whether I needed to keep driving.

Had I lived in Sydney or Canberra, I probably would have baulked due to the greater distances. I drove through pretty continuous rain for the first 3 hrs and was beginning to question my decision when the rain suddenly stopped as I was driving into Narrandera. As I drove west on the Sturt Hwy, the cloud thinned. I could see the glow faintly through cloud and brighter through gaps. When the cloud was sufficiently dispersed, I found a roadside rest area with a clear south horizon and set up.


I posted a selection of aurora images from my western NSW trip here:-
https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/...98&postcount=1

and here:-
https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/...50&postcount=7

In 2015, I was lucky enough to see a bright Kp5 display from a farm stay outside Trømso in 2015. The display was so bright, it lit up the landscape and it was a Phoenix type display(see attached image-green aurora).

Saturday night's event from Bortle 1 skies midway between Narrandera and Hay was really spectacular and special. It was green near the horizon, with a red arc and vertical pillars that pulsated varying from white (scotopic vision) to red (photopic vision). Some of the intensity pulsations in the vertical pillars had frequencies greater than 1Hz. See image showing pillars and red sky.

Such events only occur about once every 20 years so doing the maths, this might have been my last opportunity.

cheers

Joe

Wow Joe, well worth the drive for THAT!

Mike

[AstroViking (Steve)]

Joe,

Those are fantastic images - the colours you've captured are fantastic to behold. They're well worth the drive.




To add my contributions to the thread, these three were captured at Pyramid Rock, Philip Island on Saturday night. (It seemed like half of Melbourne was there, most of them waving bright torches around and ruining my night-vision. At least I now know where to go next time, so that I avoid all the crowds.)

I spent a few years in Canada, so the aurora isn't unusual to me. However, those pale bands of white/grey waving across the night skies in the depths of winter are nothing compared to what was on show here. I have never, ever, seen colours in the aurora with the naked eye like this.

These images are (aside from scaling down and watermarking) straight from the camera - no processing.

Cheers,
V.


Nikon D7100 / Samyang 14mm @ f2.8 / 15 seconds / ISO 1600

[N1 (Mirko)]

Originally Posted by gary

Uluru

Far out!

[gary]

How the May 2024 Aurora compared to historical events

[OzEclipse (Joe Cali)]

Originally Posted by AstroViking

Joe,

Those are fantastic images - the colours you've captured are fantastic to behold. They're well worth the drive.

To add my contributions to the thread, these three were captured at Pyramid Rock, Philip Island on Saturday night. (It seemed like half of Melbourne was there, most of them waving bright torches around and ruining my night-vision. At least I now know where to go next time, so that I avoid all the crowds.)

I spent a few years in Canada, so the aurora isn't unusual to me. However, those pale bands of white/grey waving across the night skies in the depths of winter are nothing compared to what was on show here. I have never, ever, seen colours in the aurora with the naked eye like this.

These images are (aside from scaling down and watermarking) straight from the camera - no processing.

Cheers,
V.


Nikon D7100 / Samyang 14mm @ f2.8 / 15 seconds / ISO 1600

Excellent images Steve! Looks like you had a great night of your own.

Joe