Aurora October 08/09 2012

 The Northern Lights mad a spectacular return to our sky  on the night of  08/09 October. All these photos were taken between 19:45 and 22:30 at which point the clouds moved in and and it was time for me to get the kids home for bed. Please scroll down the images and take note of the one taken by my daughter Heather Sherman, it was her first attempt at photographing the Aurora, and I hate to say I think hers are better than mine.

 NOTE ALL TIMES ARE IN BST

 20:18

 21:10

20:40

20:42

20:47

All of the following images we taken by Heather Sherman (age 14)
20:51 

20:53

 21:02

21:13

21:17

21:25

21:40

21:43

As a final treat Heather imaged this Draconid meteor within the Aurora, what a night!

Aurora 22/01/2012

 Here are the photos I took during the Aurora of 

Sunday January 22nd 2012 from Spey Bay

17:45 Awaiting the arrival of darkness

18:15 As darkness fell the Northern lights became visible as a green glow

18:20 more structure beginning to appear 

18:30 Ursa Major through the Aurora above the Osprey and Salmon

 18:40

18:45 red and green can be seen

 

18:58 Clouds start moving in and are lit up by the light pollution of Lossiemouth

 

19:05 Rays start to appear

19:10 The Rayed Arch begins to dance over the Moray Firth

  My Daughters Heather and Hazel are rapped up warm against the north see winds

  20:15 The final image as the clouds rolled in, before taking taking Hazel home to bed, and Heather and me could have some supper before starting round two

  We returned at 22:00 fed and watered, and were met with this wonderful sight of clear sky to the NE, but the ominous looking dark clouds to the west was a warning of what was to come.

 

 

 22:50 The encroaching cloud began to spoil the view of the Aurora which was becoming very active. As you will see though for these final three images the Northern light show left the best to last.

 All of these pictures were taken with a Canon 300D, iso 800, AS 3.5, Exposure 25 seconds. The only processing done is stitching of the panoramas in Microsoft ICE, no Photoshop  here!