Entries filed under 'aurora borealis'

Two Spectacular Surprises in the Sky

It's been a good week for gazing upwards. Earlier this week, a "coronal mass ejection" on the sun created an epic geomagnetic storm that caused an unusually widespread outbreak of Northern Lights. This particular aurora borealis appeared in skies over much of North America, even in relatively southerly latitudes. Check out this skywatcher's video from Michigan for a sampling (don't miss the amazing action around the 0:17 mark). Then, this morning here in the Seattle area, we were treated to a ...

Posted by Steve T on October 31, 2011 5:32 PM & Tagged Mount Rainier, aurora borealis, northern lights and sunrise | permalink | Comments



A Sight for Skywatching Eyes: The Northern Lights

All promotional videos should be this visually arresting. Check out this view of the aurora borealis, documented by a Finnish production company (Flatlight Films) to promote tourism in Finland. Looks chilly but beautiful. Persuasive stuff. Solar activity in late September caused a spike in aurora activity. To monitor such activity in America's most aurora-friendly state, check out this forecast site maintained by the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. When was the last ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on October 4, 2011 2:14 PM & Tagged aurora borealis, northern lights and video | permalink | Comments



Busy Week for Nighttime Skywatchers

Enjoy a little late-night skywatching? Well then, these are interesting times. For starters, the annual Perseid Meteor Shower is underway now. According to this article in Space.com, this year's show will be most visible in the predawn hours through Thursday, Aug. 11. Meteor shower activity actually peaks this weekend (Aug. 12-13), but it will be competing with a full moon on those days. The brightness of the moon will considerably reduce the visibility of the meteors. It's still worth a look, ...

Posted by Steve T on August 12, 2011 4:43 PM & Tagged astronomy, aurora borealis, northern lights and perseid meteor shower | permalink | Comments



Grand Images from Norway's Skillful Watcher of the Skies

As the creator of mind-stretching outdoor videos, Norway's Terje Sorgjerd merits the title of Internet Sensation. His riveting short films use time-lapse techniques to condense nature's gradual ebbs and flows into eye-popping marvels of motion and light. His revved-up portraits of the natural world are jaw-droppers. The guess here is that many readers have already seen Sorgjerd work. We share examples here to include others who have not previously enjoyed the experience. Sorgjerd's ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on April 20, 2011 12:28 PM & Tagged El Teide, Norway, Photography, Spain, Terle Sorgjerd and aurora borealis | permalink | Comments