I’m up in Tromso, northern Norway, filming the Northern Lights with the Sky at Night team. We need to dash out to make the most of the fleeting hours of twilight here in the Arctic circle, so I’ll write more later, but for now enjoy this picture from last night’s display. It was taken by Pete Lawrence or me (we were sharing a camera, but Pete did all the hard work) and is featured on Space Weather today.
Aurora from Tromso
Will on January 16, 2009
Stunning picture Chris and Pete! Judging by the Spaceweather site you guys might be in luck with another inbound stream over Saturday and Sunday. Good luck!
Alice Sheppard on January 16, 2009
OOOH you lucky things. Jeg vil gjerne reise til Norge, i.e. I’d love to go to Norway. I went six years ago and have forgotten almost all of my Norwegian, but it’s a great place – clouds sitting on the rocks next to you, wonderful pine forests to tramp around in, and raindrops the size of footballs in Bergen. And from the plane, the mountains look like papier mache and you can see ripples from boats miles and miles along the fjords.
Good luck with the Aurora, and ha det godt!
Rob on January 16, 2009
Awesome photo Chris. Seeing an aurora is on my must do list but alas have not had success so far. Enjoy Norway.
Ian O'Neill on January 17, 2009
Wonderful image. I made a few attempts at getting good shots of the aurora in Svalbard, but failed at every turn. Are you going that far north by any chance?
Have an øl or two for me
Cheers, Ian
Hanny on January 17, 2009
WOW Pete! And thanks for sharing Chris!
Stuart Atkinson on January 17, 2009
Nice one, you jammy g*t!
Kav on January 19, 2009
The important question is: Did you get to stay in the prestigious EISCAT Hilton?
I’ve worked on auroral physics for alsmost 10 years (including PhD) and I still love to see the aurora for myself. The experience is hard to properly describe to someone who has never seen it for themselves; photos, though beautiful, fail to capture the dynamicism of the spectacle.
I will also forego my rant about STFC cutting funding…
J K on February 5, 2009
Wow! That’s a hell of a photo. Lovely.
Marina on February 18, 2009
Oh you lucky thing! Seeing the aurora borealis is one of my dreams. Thanks for sharing it even though it just reminds me that I want to see it for myself! Lovely photo.
Chris Lintott’s Universe » See the Northern Lights with the Sky at Night on February 25, 2009
[...] recent Sky at Night programme about the Northern Lights seems to have attracted a lot of attention. To be honest, I don’t think we can take too much [...]
Graham Chambers on March 4, 2009
V. nice pictures. I have never seen the Borealis,but have plenty of experience of the Australis over 2 years in Antarctica in the mid 1970s. Movie photography was not really possible and still photography was plagued with problems such as exposure and the extreme cold. In addition, the dryness of the air sometimes created false features which were actually static sparks inside the camera as the film was advanced! Film also tended to crack. I remember the sky being filled with overlapping green waves from horizon to horizon as if you were looking up from the bottom of a pond at the ripples on the surface and- yes- you can HEAR the Aurora. I heard a rustling noise like brown paper being rubbed together.