Northern Lights on 5-10-24

StephenGA
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Northern Lights on 5-10-24
Northern Lights on 5-10-24

This is the first picture I have ever taken of the Aurora Borealis. I wasn't expecting to get an image like this, but I'm absolutely ecstatic that that it happened.

I drove up into Tennessee last night with very low expectations. I was hoping to maybe get a glimpse of color on the northern horizon.

Once it got dark, there were still some significant clouds to our north. It seemed that my pessimism was warranted.

But then, just after 10 pm, they clouds parted and I couldn't believe what I saw. The colors aren't anywhere close to what you see with a long exposure like this one, but I could see structure and a hint of the colors.

At the start, there were a couple of families there with their children. They didn't even know that the aurora was possible. Naturally they were stunned and surprised when it became visible.

Not long after we first saw it, a flood of people started coming up the mountain. At one time I'd say there were 35-40 people. Some didn't stay long, but when I left at around 11:30 there were still maybe 20 people up there.

I would rate this as my second favorite astronomical experience. Nothing will compare to the total eclipse I saw in 2017, but this is a worthy silver medal!

There could be more aurora visible tonight. I plan to go out, but not as far as I went last night.

I took over a hundred photos. Once I go through all of them I will post them in a separate album.

Taken on: May 10, 2024
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with astrophotography astrophotography Everybody's photos tagged with eosra eosra Everybody's photos tagged with aurora aurora more » Everybody's photos tagged with 2024 2024 Everybody's photos tagged with 14-24mm 14-24mm « less
Sets appears in:   • Aurora Photos from May 2024    • May 2024   
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Camera: Canon EOS Ra, f/2.8, 8 sec, 14mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS Ra
Lens: 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art 018
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure Time: 8
Focal Length: 14mm
ISO: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash
Exposure Program: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.2 (Macintosh)
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