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Old 21-January-2005, 10:20 PM
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This has got to be my most succesful Northern Lights picture yet. This corona was right at the zenith and so bright you could see the bright pale green and rosy red streaks of light emanating from all around it. The streaks were fanning out racing toward the north-west. The bright "bloom" in the lower left corner is light from the nearly full Moon! This was an extremely intense, short-lived storm - it only lasted about 30-40 minutes but I am oh so glad I saw it and had my camera ready.

Image was taken using a Nikon Coolpix 5700, 15sec, f/2.8, fl=9mm, ISO 200 then processed with Adobe Photoshop CS.
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Old 21-January-2005, 10:23 PM
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What an amazing sight. I was setting up my scope for the clearest night we have had in months and the skies just lit up within minutes. Pale greens and rosy reds dominated the north-west sky, right up to the zenith. Bear in mind there was nearly a full Moon! This was an extremely intense, short-lived storm - it only lasted about 30-40 minutes.

This view is looking over Conon Bridge and you can see snow-covered Beinn Wyvis to the lower right of the image.

Image was taken using a Nikon Coolpix 5700, 17sec, f/2.8, fl=9mm, ISO 200 then processed with Adobe Photoshop CS.
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Old 21-January-2005, 11:06 PM
wjwduke wjwduke is offline
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Reckless,
Those are truely amazing shots. Nothing like being in the right place at the right time, not to mention being ready. Keep up the good work. Bill
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Old 22-January-2005, 01:05 AM
damienpaul damienpaul is offline
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Absolutely Brilliant pictures!!!!
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Old 22-January-2005, 01:43 AM
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For those of you who would like to know exactly where in the sky this is I have made an image from Starry Night Enthusiast DD. The location and time are Lat: 57°33'50"N, Lon: 4°25'24"W, 20:00h UT.
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Old 22-January-2005, 02:26 AM
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Another dramatic image of the Northern Lights corona. Again, the bright "bloom" in the lower left corner is light from the nearly full Moon! You can see the Plaeides near the bottom-left of centre in this one.

Image was taken using a Nikon Coolpix 5700, longer exposure of 25sec, f/2.8, fl=9mm, ISO 200 then processed with Adobe Photoshop CS.
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Old 22-January-2005, 09:17 AM
Betelgeuse Betelgeuse is offline
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Outstanding pictures! Truly amazing! Is your avatar your own astrophotography, too?
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Old 22-January-2005, 10:15 AM
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Thanks for the comments Rigel & others. My avatar was one of my earliest attempts at prime focus shooting with a modified webcam about a year ago. I can honestly say I didn't know what I was doing at the time but everything came out alright. I have since found out I have an instinct for this and back it up by looking at how others achieved their results - on the internet, at my local astronomy club (Highlands Astronomical Society), etc.

Hoping for more clear skies in the north of Scotland tonight.

Eric
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Old 24-January-2005, 02:54 AM
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Hi There,

Really Nice Corona, I have been shooting Aurora for 16 years and have many great shots of the Auroras, but have yet to get a Corona shot! Congrats!

Nice job on the Auroral Corona!
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Old 28-January-2005, 10:02 PM
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"Lace Curtains Shimmering In The Wind"

Another image taken during the powerful aurora which was visible over Conon Bridge on the evening of Friday 21 January 2005.

The pale green "waves" on the left of the image moved considerably. To the naked eye, they looked like "shimmering lace curtains moving in the wind".

Image was taken using a Nikon Coolpix 5700, JPG format, 15sec, f/2.8, fl=9mm, ISO 200 then processed with Adobe Photoshop CS.
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Old 29-January-2005, 12:31 AM
paul f. campbell paul f. campbell is offline
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Reckless your photos are really way to cool. Where I live, I have only seen an aurora twice in my life. You are so lucky. Nice work. Please keep sending photos like these, so people like me can send them to friends who have never or seldom seen an aurora. Great stuff. yours in the way Paul F. Campbell
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Old 29-January-2005, 02:02 AM
damienpaul damienpaul is offline
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Totally brilliant shots, reckless, absolutly nicely detailed and clear, keep 'em coming!
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Old 30-January-2005, 05:46 AM
slotdrag slotdrag is offline
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where i live ill never get to see that. thanks for letting me see the colors through your pictures. there awsome.
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Old 30-January-2005, 10:35 AM
Betelgeuse Betelgeuse is offline
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I'll reflect what slotdrag and paul.f.campbell have said - I'll never get the chance to see the lights so thanks for "bringing the experience home!".
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