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DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> Aurora Borealis?
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10/11/2012 01:38:43 PM · #1
Can I attribute this night time phenomena to the Aurora Borealis? Shot at midnight so the sun had set hours earlier and there is no light pollution in this part of the Inner Hebrides.

10/11/2012 01:41:01 PM · #2
looks like ambient light, lighting moving clouds.

maybe it is, i dont know for sure, doesnt look like it though...

Message edited by author 2012-10-11 13:42:34.
10/11/2012 01:47:48 PM · #3
Beautiful shot!

Was it a) towards the north, and b) moving across the sky in waves like a flag? If not, it likely wasn't northern lights.
10/11/2012 01:51:06 PM · #4
txs Mike/Trollman,

Yes, it was facing the North and in some shots there was a little 'green'. With the naked eye we could see little flashes of green on the left of the image. I've driven this road many times at night and the sky is usually black so something different was happening.
10/11/2012 01:58:18 PM · #5
there appears to be a distinct light source emanating from the horizon below the clouds, the clouds dont look back lit they look lit from that source.

10/11/2012 02:40:23 PM · #6
Well, this fellow posted the image below on the spaceweather.com site saying it was northern lights taken last night. Similar colors (though yours is much richer), and looks like he was not terribly far from where you were?
//spaceweather.com/gallery/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=72491&PHPSESSID=8ob2s0ggh09ofq2t289giir3q7
10/11/2012 02:40:34 PM · #7
The Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?
10/11/2012 03:07:27 PM · #8
Originally posted by mike_311:

there appears to be a distinct light source emanating from the horizon below the clouds, the clouds dont look back lit they look lit from that source.


Yup, however, looking at GoogleMaps Tobermory would be on the left side of the image and the right side (where the light source is) has one road with just a few street lamps. Next time i'm passing at midnight will try to replicate the shot :)

Txs for the link Colleen :)

not sure this is classed as getting published mind.
10/11/2012 03:07:54 PM · #9
Originally posted by Venser:

The Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?


Yes.

And we're having steamed hams, that's why I call hamburgers.
10/11/2012 04:03:29 PM · #10
Andi you should have submitted to the BBC :)

//www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19881645
10/11/2012 04:21:00 PM · #11
Sarah, I submitted it to BBC Scotland last night but not heard back from them yet :(
10/11/2012 05:31:39 PM · #12
The color of the light has that distinct "sodium vapor" look to it. The pattern is exactly what you'd expect from man-made light sources reflected off clouds.
From Google Maps, the area does look reasonably remote, but believe me, when you get some mid-level clouds in the way and with an exposure time in the two-minute range, it's amazing how much reflected light you see.
10/11/2012 06:31:39 PM · #13
Knowing the Tobermory area, this is not some man-made light, no way. And with the Aurora activity that was reported last night, this very well might be an Aurora sighting. Have seen pictures on Facebook (search for Shetland Wildlife) with the same kind of orange/green colours.
10/11/2012 06:38:49 PM · #14
Originally posted by Kroburg:

Knowing the Tobermory area, this is not some man-made light, no way. And with the Aurora activity that was reported last night, this very well might be an Aurora sighting. Have seen pictures on Facebook (search for Shetland Wildlife) with the same kind of orange/green colours.


Well, it's definitely reflecting from the bottom of that cloud deck... auroras are 60-100 km above ground level, so *way* above any cloud deck. The light source is, almost without doubt, man-made. Remember this is nearly a 2-minute exposure.
10/11/2012 07:03:14 PM · #15
txs for the input Gents. It certainly was a strange night. After a while we could see green flashes on the left side of the horizon (Tobermory would be there). Kees, I concur as Tobermory is a small town and the brightest part of the light would be over Aros if my map reading is correct, no street lights or houses.

Aurora or not, I like the image and it was no ordinary night. It started raining around 00:30 so we headed home just as the stars started to come out so will have to revisit another day :)
10/11/2012 07:52:33 PM · #16
I did read somewhere that there was going to be one around the 10th.

Here is a link which I found that has some other similar photos in Scotland //www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19881645
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