Try from 10-30 seconds and turn off the noise reduction so you don't have to wait too long to see if it's happening. "What is one of the best ways to see a Northern Lights display, especially if the lights are barely visable?" Use a sensitive digital camera and crank up the ISO as high as it will go, open your f/stop as wide as it will go, put your camera on a stable base or a tripod, and make a long exposure to see if any lights are being captured. "Why should a person stay awake to capture images of the Northern Lights?" Because they are mysterious and gorgeous! If the earth is in the path of the wind, there is a chance of aurora displays. The displays depend on the sun's solar flares and the direction of solar wind from the storm. Summertime dark hours last from around midnight-4am, winter darkness is usually about 6pm-8am. "What time of the year offers the best viewing of Northern Lights?"Īnytime they are active! We seem to see them more in this 45th parallel region as opposed to further south due to the longer nights and earlier darkness. your pupils need to dilate to be able to see more light and any light you look at (such as a cell phone) hinders that process. that same storm in '91 was seen as far south as Arizona! So, find as dark a sky as you are able and give your eyes time to adjust to the dark. I remember the display in November, 1991 and the news stories that followed, my favorite being that the 911 system in Chicago was trashed from folks thinking the city was on fire! My point being that if the display is strong enough, you don't need as dark a sky and if it's a really strong display you don't need to be as far north as you might think. The not so simple answer is: it depends upon how strong the display is. Photo by Ken Scott Photography The number one most asked question is "When is the best time to view the Northern Lights?" The simple answer: on a dark, clear night when the Northern Lights are active in your region. I post images/videos (timelapsed) when I have something to share and usually get asked a few questions over and over again, so I will try to answer them best I can and offer some links to monitoring sites that you can check out for your own forecasting.feel free to send me info to post. I'm not a scientist nor a techie, but I do love to watch the night sky and especially the Northern Lights. Ken Scott, a Northwest Michigan photographer, offers the following tips to help you capture the best images of the Northern Lights. The most recent maximum in solar activity was likely during 2013, with frequent Northern Lights displays continuing for another two or three years after that. In the longer term, auroral displays are correlated with an 11-year cycle in sunspot activity the more restless the sun, the more aurorae. In periods of strong activity, one can expect several flares starting at around 6pm, peaking around 10pm, and going on until 1am. The highest probability within this time span is between 10 and 11pm. The data below shows the K-index for the past week, as measured from Leirvogur Magnetic Observatory.Photo by Ken Scott PhotographyAccording to Wikipedia, the time between 6pm and 4am is the most intense period of the day. Always take a Kp-index forecast with a pinch of salt. It nevertheless provides a good idea of what to expect. It’s important to note that the Kp-index does not definitively predict the strength of the Northern Lights. Most often caused by powerful coronal mass ejections.
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