Phone vs Camera: Northern Lights edition

Posted on by farlane
Northern Lights: Phone Edition by Monika Kross
Northern Lights: Phone Edition by Monika Kross

Northern Lights Phone vs Camera by Monika Kross

Given the veritable explosion of aurora borealis & nighttime photos due to the fact phone cameras are finally allowing people to take low light pictures, I think it’s important for folks to understand that even though you can’t get results like you see from some of the best northern lights photographers, these photographers aren’t faking or cheating. They are simply working with much more photo data & understanding of how to apply it than most people.

Monika shares “The difference between a phone shot and a camera shot, each taken several minutes apart. I took quite a few phone shots that night, esp as I worked my way up the coast of the Keweenaw in 28mph winds. In each phone shot, I see noise, blown pixels, and black feathering. Shooting on a camera in raw, we have to edit to put the contrast, color, and texture back into it. It looks very milky before editing and it takes a lot of work.

Click above for Monika’s Facebook or follow her on instagram at MichiganUnsaltedGirl!

PS: The phone camera is on the left!

PPS: More posts about camera operation & cameras on Michigan in Pictures!

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Under the Sign of the Lion

Posted on by farlane

Aurora Fireball by Ross Ellet

I featured this photo 8 years again, but with the incredible run of northern lights we’ve been having and the massive spike in interest in getting out under the night sky coupled with the rise of the Detroit Lions as an NFL superpower, it’s a great time to bring back this feature from Space.com on How to Watch the Leonids Meteor Shower:

The Leonid meteor shower will be active from Nov. 3 to Dec. 2 this year and will peak overnight from Nov. 17 to 18. The Leonids are produced when Earth passes through the debris left behind by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle during its highly elliptical orbit around the sun every 33 years. The Leonids are considered some of the fastest meteors, zipping through the sky at 44 miles (71 kilometers) per second, according to NASA. They can also result in impressive fireballs producing long, bright and colorful meteor streaks.

The Leonids’ radiant is located in the sickle-shaped head of the constellation Leo, the lion. Leonid meteor hunting can be incredible, or a total bust. It all depends on where its parent body, Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, will be in its orbit and the kind of debris clumps that will be around when our planet passes through this comet’s orbit. The Leonids put on big shows in 1966, 1999 and 2001, according to AMS, when the comet was making its closest approach to the sun. It will be several years until observers get a big show from the Leonids.

Ross took this photo ten years ago in late September of 2014 and shared:

The sky was cloudy most of the night, but at 3:30am there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We made our way to the lakeshore and sure enough the northern lights were dim on the northern horizon. At one point you could hear the howl of a distant wolf pack while the northern lights were out. Then moments later a slow move fireball flashed across the sky. It lasted a couple seconds and the brightness pulsed as it moved through the atmosphere. After that the aurora faded, but several more meteors (some very bright) streaked above us.

Ssee more in his Porcupine Mtns gallery on Flickr, and definitely check out Ross Ellet’s Picturesque Adventures for much more!!

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Moonset under Aurora

Posted on by farlane
Moon set under Aurora by Thomas Mann

Moon set under Aurora by TP Mann

Thomas shares, “The northern lights and the moon filled the sky above Ellsworth Lake. It was a gorgeous night to be out along the Breezeway.” The Breezeway is his passion which is totally understandable if you take a look:

“The Breezeway” is a rural ride along C-48 from Atwood (U.S. 31) through Ellsworth & East Jordan, and ending in Boyne Falls (U.S. 131) – boasts scenic overlooks, great motorcycle & bicycle rides, recreational amenities galore, working farms & orchards, artist galleries & studios, resale shops, lodging facilities (cottages, campgrounds, B&Bs, motels, and a resort), retail and service businesses with superb customer service, and an epicurean’s selection of dining choices along the route.

Thomas took this photo on October 10th. Head over to his Flickr for his latest photos from this beautiful little corner of Michigan & here’s a daytime photo of the fall color on Ellsworth Lake from yesterday!

Autumn Morning on the Breezeway by Thomas Mann

Autumn Morning on the Breezeway by Thomas Mann

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Aurora outbreak on tap for this weekend!!

Posted on by farlane

Sunflower Auroras – August 2024-23 by Nathan Miller

The NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 (Strong) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for today through Sunday due to a pair of coronal mass ejections that are anticipated to arrive over the course of the next three days. This means that Northern Lights are VERY possible over the weekend!!

Nathan took this in August up on the Keweenaw Peninsula. See more in his Sunflower Auroras gallery on Flickr and for sure check out his photography & writing at Nathan Invincible.

Much (much) more Northern Lights on Michigan in Pictures!

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Rite of Passage

Posted on by farlane

Rite of Passage Part 2 by Captures by Ethan

VIA LEELANAU.COM…

Here’s an incredible photo of the Northern Lights dancing over the Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan last night from Sleeping Bear Point. South Manitou Island is to the right, North Manitou Island to the left & The Crib (North Manitou Shoal Light) is in the center. Ethan’s father Elmer Hohnke recently passed away and he shares:

I’ve been a little quiet lately on here as my dad passed away a few weeks ago and needed to step back for a while. Since then I’ve been needing a mental health break chasing the night sky, as that is my true escape. With the peak of the Perseids meteor shower as well as anticipation of a coronal mass ejection(s), AND a clear night..last night was the perfect night. It wound up being so much more than perfect. The aurora made an appearance and danced from just after sunset to just before sunrise. The night sky did so many different things and so many different colors were present. I also felt the presence of my dad with me last night and it was something I can’t even put into words. I love you, forever and always. This night will hold closer to me than any other night.

This is a great reminder of the pain this world can hold for us all and the fact that many you will see today are grappling with similar pain. Please grant them grace & here’s hoping for a lifting of all our spirits … and a continued run of absolutely banging auroras!!

Follow Captures by Ethan on Facebook and for sure view & purchase northern lights and other photos on his website.

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Chasing the Perseid meteor shower

Posted on by farlane

Milky Way over Milky Bond Falls with a dash of Perseids by Sathya

The Perseid meteor shower is a summer staple & fast approaching the peak!! Our friends at EarthSky say that the early mornings of August 11-13, 2024 are your best bet for meteor action, but you can usually see them between midnight – 6am. That’s perfect because there’s an excellent chance of Northern Lights for the next couple of days & they are usually strongest between midnight – 3am.

EarthSky writes that the August Perseid meteor shower is rich and steady, from early August through the peak. The meteors are colorful. And they frequently leave persistent trains. All of these factors make the Perseid shower perhaps the most beloved meteor shower for the Northern Hemisphere.

Head over to EarthSky for everything you need to know about the Perseids, our most reliable meteor shower!

This photo of a Perseid meteor over Bond Falls that I shared back in 2013 remains one of my favorite michpics ever! Sathya wrote on their blog:

The deafening sound of 500 gallons of water / second from 50 feet
The tranquil silence of the dark night
Milky way adorning the skies
A (Perseids) meteor fireball streaking across the horizon
Definitely a moment of serenity and one I would cherish!

For sure check out Like the Ocean to view & purchase prints and a whole lot of amazing photos & amazing thoughts about some of the most beautiful places on this planet.

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An Aurora for the Ages

Posted on by farlane

Aurora Borealis over Saginaw Bay by Tom Clark Photography

Last weekend saw a truly historic outburst of the aurora borealis, with the intensity scale reaching G5 three times, something that normally happens only 3 or 4 times every decade!! So many photographers featured in our Northern Lights category have great photos shared on their social media, but I wanted to get a pic from a place that’s normally left out of the cosmic fun!

Tom got this shot looking over Saginaw Bay on Friday night saying “I kid you not – these brilliant colors are in the Aurora as it first appeared. Minimal and normal editing of the raw files is all I did (except maybe the first image which i may have increased yellow and green saturation). As the night wore on the reds, pinks, disappeared and it was brilliant green.” See a bunch more on his Facebook!!

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Solar Storm could bring northern lights to all of Michigan tonight!

Posted on by farlane

Aurora Borealis over Lake Superior by Lake Superior Photo

Shawn Malone shared this photo yesterday saying: Incredible. There are now 4 CME’s earthward directed headed our way in the next few days. Levels of up to G4 storming are now forecast for auroras (see below for chart). Two of the CME’s merging late the 10th into the 11th are responsible for the G4 forecast for that time. I can’t ever remember this many earthward CME’s in such a short period of time from one region (3664 in this case).

…This is pretty amazing. Region 3664 is HUGE. Looks like that region alone has released 5 CMEs now, the last one tbd if it is earthward, but the rest appear to be with G4 storming in the forecast for Fri into Sat and very possibly beyond. This is the weekend to make a trip if you can, however we have cloud cover tomorrow night (aka tonight), MN looks better in that respect

FYI a G4 level solar storm can make it possible to see the aurora as far south as Detroit!!! She took this near Marquette. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram and FOR SURE view & purchase her work at LakeSuperiorPhoto.com where she has a massive northern lights gallery!

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A Mouse’s View of the Aurora

Posted on by farlane

Mouse’s View of the Aurora by Shelby Diamondstar Photography

I know I already posted today, but I just got an email alert from the NOAA NWS Space Weather Prediction Center (yes – that is a thing) that we have a kP of SEVEN right now so (theoretically) if that holds until dark, the entire state could see them!!

This is one of many photos in MaryBeth’s Labor Day Aurora Show gallery. She shares that this was in 2019 when G1 and G2 level geomagnetic storms triggered all kinds of activity. Due to weather, she started her chase in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (where she took this photo), but due to weather, she packed up and decided to head another 6 hours north to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Lots more at at Shelbydiamondstar Photography!

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Scientists now know what causes the northern lights!

Posted on by farlane

Thanks by Julie

Thanks by Julie

NPR reports that scientists have finally confirmed the source of the Northern Lights:

An article published in the journal Nature Communications this week suggests that the natural light show starts when disturbances on the sun pull on Earth’s magnetic field. That creates cosmic undulations known as Alfvén waves that launch electrons at high speeds into Earth’s atmosphere where they create the aurora.

“It was sort of theorized that that’s where the energy exchange is occurring,” said Gregory Howes, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Iowa. “But no one had ever come up with a definitive demonstration that the Alfvén waves actually accelerate these electrons under the appropriate conditions that you have in space above the aurora.”

The sun is volatile, and violent events there such as geomagnetic storms can echo out into the universe. In some cases, the sun’s disturbances are so strong that they yank on the Earth’s magnetic field like a rubber band, pulling it away from our planet.

But, like a taut rubber band when it’s released, the magnetic field snaps back, and the force of that recoil creates powerful ripples known as Alfvén waves about 80,000 miles from the ground. As those waves get closer to Earth, they move even faster thanks to the planet’s magnetic pull.

…”Think about surfing,” said Jim Schroeder, an assistant physics professor at Wheaton College and the article’s lead author. “In order to surf, you need to paddle up to the right speed for an ocean wave to pick you up and accelerate you, and we found that electrons were surfing. If they were moving with the right speed relative to the wave, they would get picked up and accelerated.”

When the electrons reach Earth’s thin upper atmosphere, they collide with nitrogen and oxygen molecules, sending them into an excited state. The excited electrons eventually calm down and release light, which is what we see as the aurora.

More at NPR.

Julie took this celebratory photo back in March. See more in her massive Michigan gallery on Flickr & keep your eyes on the skies!!

More Northern Lights on Michigan in Pictures.

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