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Summary:
No geomagnetic storm was predicted for Oct. 19-20, but one happened
anyway. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth tipped
south, opening a crack in our planet's magnetic defenses against
the solar wind. Solar wind poured in and fueled a beautiful Scandinavian
display. See also September 2008.
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Photographer,
Location |
Images |
Comments |
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Voldemar,
New Urengoy JANAO Russia
Oct. 20, 2008 |
#1,
#2, #3,
#4, more |
Photo
details: Canon
EOS-400D |
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Thomas Hagen,
Tromsø,Norway
Oct. 20, 2008 |
#1,
#2, #3 |
The clouds cleared just in time for some heavy aurora activity. Greatest show on earth!
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Sauli
Koski,
Muonio Finland
Oct. 19, 2008 |
#1,
#2, #3,
#4, more |
Good,
beautiful auroras and a half moon gave extra light.
Photo
details: Nikon
D3, 14-24 nikon lens f2,8 1600 asa about 6sec
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Claus
Vogel,
Pangnirtung, Nunavut (Baffin Island), Canada
Oct. 15, 2008 |
#1,
#2, #3,
more |
No
solar wind? No problem. The skies over Baffin Island, Canada,
can turn green even without a geomagnetic storm. These auroras
appeared during a period of "quiet" on Oct. 15th.
"Last night, bathed in the glow of a full moon, the
northern lights danced over Pangnirtung Fjord," reports
photographer Claus Vogel. "It was a stellar night for
shooting the aurora with my Nikon
D700."
The
display was sparked by nothing special. Baffin Island lies
under Earth's auroral oval, a lopsided ring of light encircling
the North Pole. Around the oval, Earth's magnetic field
funnels electrically-charged particles from space into the
upper atmosphere where the flurry of tiny impacts causes
the air to glow green--no geomagnetic storm required. |
more
images:
from
MaryLou Graham onboard the National Geographic Explorer crossing
the Davis Strait between Greenland and Baffin Island; from
Claus Vogel of Pangnirtung, Baffin Island; from
Christian Praetorius of Bifröst, Iceland; from
Roland Mathijssen of Hillesøya / Sommarøy, Troms, Norway |
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