Here are a couple of pictures of a large aurora visible from central Scotland on the night of the 11th April 2001.
This picture was taken with a 28mm f3.5 lens, 200ASA film and an exposure time of approximately 30 seconds. The picture was taken around 12.30am. It shows some of the ray structure which was visible.
This was the view looking straight up overhead at the zenith. The Plough is in the centre of the frame and the rays can be seen converging to form an auroral corona. The photograph details are the same as the first picture.
The sun produced some serious flare activity towards the end of October 2003. This activity spawned some remarkable aurora in particular the nights of the 29-30 and the 30-31.
A medium format shot showing a fantastic rayed band.
Taken using a Mamiya C330s with an 80mm f2.8 lens, exposure 30 secs on 400 asa slide film.
The two pictures below show some of the beautiful effects and colours.
The first picture was taken at around 2140ut of the 29th October and show the delicate blue and green colours on a remarkable rayed band. Exposure ~ 30 secs with 28mm f2.8 on 400 asa slide film.
The second is from the night of the 30th October at around 2330ut, this time pinks and reds predomintated. Exposure 30 secs with 35mm f2.4 on 400 asa slide film.
The exposures are approximate as it was difficult to concentrate with such tremendous activity going on!
The biggest, brightest, most active, most colourful aurora I've ever seen!
November 2004 produced a week of activity and the chance to do some experimenting with nothing more than a compact digital camera.
The results were not too bad considering the optics involved
The tiny aperture meant long exposures which lost the detail but it did record the events!
First two are 3 minute exposures and the third is a 1 minute exposure (all at iso 200).
