Northern Lights

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Berger_4_

I've always thought they just kind of happen randomly. Dunno for sure though.

If you are wondering, the Aurora Borealis (aka Northern Lights) occurs in the ionsphere where charged particles in a gas plasma by trapped by a magnetic field orientate in the same direction as the solar winds, causing the charged particles to sweep through the ionsphere and collide, exciting atoms and producing the light emissions associated with the colours you see int he sky - green and red for oxygen, blue for nitrogen.

[Slava]

I was in Alaska a couple of years ago backpacking and the Northern Lights were amazing! The entire sky was covered and just swirling and churning. That should be on the top of your list to see a some point in your life!

[Montana Moe]

We get them on occasion down here in Billings, Montana (45 degree Latitude). The last time I remember seeing them vividly was about 10 years ago, though. They would be a welcome sight again.

Great pics BTW!

[Dan02]

The things you take for granted when you live up north(artic cirlcle north not calgary north) wish i had some pictures from back then.

[Azure]

What kind of camera did you use to take those Jayems?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Slava

I was in Alaska a couple of years ago backpacking and the Northern Lights were amazing! The entire sky was covered and just swirling and churning. That should be on the top of your list to see a some point in your life!

Just amazing what you see up past the arctic circle. And the stars. Even just getting a ways out of town increases your ability to see stars imagine the difference when you're hundreds of miles from the nearest source of light pollution.

It really illustrates how and why people of the past held the stars in such high regard.

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by Azure

What kind of camera did you use to take those Jayems?

I have a nikon D80.

[MJK]

I am so spoiled now that I hardly take pics of the lights anymore. They happen almost every night when it is clear.

VERY cool to have them appear over Calgary though, I have never seen them anywhere except the North! Nice pics Jayems!