Auroras are unique light shows often restricted to the polar regions of the world.  They occur when solar storms release radiation towards the planet.  They are beautiful but difficult for most people to see without significant travel.  That changed recently.  An aurora appeared in unusual places.  Here’s my take.

A few days ago, tons of photos of auroras invaded the internet.  There are photos of the aurora over places you’d never think to see an aurora.  I saw pictures of the aurora over the Florida Everglades and saguaro cactus in Saguaro National Park next to the Mexican border.  To see an aurora that those latitudes is SUPER rare.  But it happened.  Now, it’s my turn.

My story begins with my aurora tracking app pinging me about the KP index going up high.  When I checked my phone for the info, I was floored to see just how expansive the predicted aurora viewing belt was.  I’d never seen it so wide or so strong before.

I first downloaded the aurora tracking app a few months ago when we experienced a similar but smaller solar storm which brought the northern lights south into southern Utah.  Sadly, I couldn’t try for myself then.  It was cloudy.  However, I wanted to know the next time something like that happened so I could try for an aurora.  It REALLY paid off this time.

That day, lots of clouds passed overhead.  I was afraid that the clouds would block my view of the norther sky and northern lights again.  Happily, this was not the case.  The northern sky was visible with only a few small clouds.  Conditions were about perfect for aurora chasing.

As night fell, I wondered if I could even see the northern lights.  As it turns out, I could.  Sadly, it was far from the dancing light show which most people associate with auroras.  But it was still a visible aurora.  What I ended up seeing was a lighter shade of blue in the darkening northern skies.  There were patches of black there too.  I came to realize those patches of black were the silhouettes of clouds.  The waxing moon was still a sliver of a crescent and in the west.  The light couldn’t possibly be from anything but a solar storm.

That’s what my eyes saw of the northern lights.  My camera detected something else entirely.  It picked up the subtleties of color which were almost lost in the gloom of night.  In fact, the skies were a wash with hot pink, purple, and green light.  It was indeed a marvelous sight to behold.

I ran a few test shots just to be sure.  Then I decided to try for some real aurora photos with a landscape bent.

It was late and we were tired so we didn’t want to go far.  Still, I wanted a view away from the city lights.  We found 1 too.  While there, I took several shots of the northern lights.  It really helped that I used equipment and knowledge I acquired in studying astrophotography.  It really came in handy.

I tried out a foreground with a cattle gate for some foreground interest.  Also, I tried light painting it just in case that would work out for me.  Here’s what I managed to capture that night.

They’re not terrible at all.  They’re certainly something to show for my first successful chance at photographing an aurora.  I don’t know if or when I’ll have the chance again so this was certainly worth the attempt for me.

So, reader, what do you think of this unusual photo shoot for me?  How do you think I did on my first attempt at photographing auroras?  I know there’s always room for improvement.  However, please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.