Nightwalking and The Aurora Borealis

It was pure chance that I noticed the predictions for the possible UK Wide Aurora the other week. I have had the Aurora-watch app on my phone for some time, but after not accessing it for a while (generally fed-up with possible sightings scuppered by shit weather and light polution) it had stopped pinging at me.

We were all pretty tired by decided it was definitely worth staying up, and not having walked the dog before, as we planned to do so when out made that a must, but even in May when one is still feeling that the grip of winter was not long ago, it is suprising how late true darkness comes – in fact in little more than a week from the night of the Aurora, Wymondham will hit the point in the year when we actually do not experience true night. The seasons move fast.

We set out, under cover (finally) of darkness on a route round the fields. Even aside from the Aurora the sunset was tranquil.

It was beginning to look like a no show, when I decided to just have a few more tries through my phone (not having my SLR wiht me) and lo and behold, there was indeed colour in the sky. This did increase as the evening went on, though even with the much reduced light-polution there was quite a limit to what the eye could see unaided. By using night mode (additive multiple shots) on my phone I got some pretty decent reminders.

I took my best shots later on through the window (and not even facing north – this is almost due east) because this let me hold the phone still pressed to the glass and I could switch to pro mode and shoot Raw.

This has been a life-dream I was beginning to feel would slip by, but it is slightly frustrating that in Leeds, where my camera was, and where we have never had success due to the light polution, even in the urban areas the show was somewhat more extensive. But astronimical events never go to plan, after all.