Keep your expectations low, but your hopes high! Next, I hope to photograph a comet with red sprites from lightning, as the land needs rain.
Red auroras in southwest Oklahoma are not a regular occurrence, but here's what I know:
The weekend forecast for auroras was very high, following the strongest flare of this solar cycle. However, nothing arrived on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and Sunday's activity was on its way out.
Most people overlooked the two smaller coronal mass ejections that followed the X9 flare.
A geomagnetic storm is a long-lasting event that can contain many auroral substorms. An auroral substorm is similar to a tornado in a thunderstorm or the eye wall of a hurricane—for 10-30 minutes, the aurora becomes extremely active and can be seen from places far away from the auroral oval. This typically appears as a red glow at lower latitudes, since you are seeing the tops of auroral rays from a distance. The curvature of the Earth obscures the green color, which is only visible at higher latitudes.
There are multiple theories surrounding the causes of substorms. However, as I'm new to them, you should "do your own research" (DYOR).
Here's how to photograph and record auroral substorms using a DSLR or mirrorless camera:
The basic essentials are: • A wide-angle lens • • A tripod • • No light pollution to the north •
For sky-related photography, I start with: • A 35mm lens • • 13-second shutter speed • • 1600 ISO • • The lowest f-number • • Manual focus The moons of Jupiter are great for finding the lens's infinity focus.
This is just my starting point. Photography involves trade-offs, so nothing will be perfect. Take a photo that you like, then do some math to determine how to adjust your camera settings for video.
Since substorms can last 30 minutes, a 5-second shutter speed converted into 24 frames per second video in the camera body will produce a 15-second video. You'll need to adjust the ISO; it will be noisier than the photograph you liked, but you'll get to watch the red aurora dance the next day.
Ok. The only thing I’ve been a gatekeeper on is the exact location. Even in rural Oklahoma, light pollution is tough and I’m going to keep that for myself.
Gell-Mann Amnesia (GMA) is a defense mechanism that occurs when someone reads a news article about a subject they know well and finds it to be inaccurate, but then proceeds to read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate. The term was coined by Michael Crichton and named after Murray Gell-Mann, a physicist with whom Crichton discussed the phenomenon.
Here's an example of GMA: • You read a news article about a subject you know well, like physics, and find it to be full of errors. • You read the article with exasperation or amusement, but then turn the page to read about national or international affairs. • You read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate than the article you just read, even though it is just as likely to be inaccurate. Crichton called these types of stories "wet streets cause rain" stories.
Next time a comet appears around Dawn, gotta photograph it as early on the calendar as possible. Capturing tail without over exposing is difficult with a rising sun.
An X7.1 (R3) solar flare erupted from Region 3842 this evening. This was the second strongest flare of Solar Cycle 25, only bested by an X8.7 flare on May 14th of this year.
But the bulk may miss earth to the southeast. Impact possible in 60-96 hours from now.
Red River Post
Red River Post
Keep your expectations low, but your hopes high! Next, I hope to photograph a comet with red sprites from lightning, as the land needs rain.
Red auroras in southwest Oklahoma are not a regular occurrence, but here's what I know:
The weekend forecast for auroras was very high, following the strongest flare of this solar cycle. However, nothing arrived on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and Sunday's activity was on its way out.
Most people overlooked the two smaller coronal mass ejections that followed the X9 flare.
A geomagnetic storm is a long-lasting event that can contain many auroral substorms. An auroral substorm is similar to a tornado in a thunderstorm or the eye wall of a hurricane—for 10-30 minutes, the aurora becomes extremely active and can be seen from places far away from the auroral oval. This typically appears as a red glow at lower latitudes, since you are seeing the tops of auroral rays from a distance. The curvature of the Earth obscures the green color, which is only visible at higher latitudes.
There are multiple theories surrounding the causes of substorms. However, as I'm new to them, you should "do your own research" (DYOR).
Here's how to photograph and record auroral substorms using a DSLR or mirrorless camera:
The basic essentials are:
• A wide-angle lens
•
• A tripod
•
• No light pollution to the north
•
For sky-related photography, I start with:
• A 35mm lens
•
• 13-second shutter speed
•
• 1600 ISO
•
• The lowest f-number
•
• Manual focus
The moons of Jupiter are great for finding the lens's infinity focus.
This is just my starting point. Photography involves trade-offs, so nothing will be perfect. Take a photo that you like, then do some math to determine how to adjust your camera settings for video.
Since substorms can last 30 minutes, a 5-second shutter speed converted into 24 frames per second video in the camera body will produce a 15-second video. You'll need to adjust the ISO; it will be noisier than the photograph you liked, but you'll get to watch the red aurora dance the next day.
Ok. The only thing I’ve been a gatekeeper on is the exact location. Even in rural Oklahoma, light pollution is tough and I’m going to keep that for myself.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2
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Red River Post
No Aurora for me on Saturday night/Sunday morning . But did see a great Milky Way. Here’s a Time-lapse of the 2 videos I got at this location.
Moon and Venus sunset #astrophotography
youtube.com/shorts/B0XNe_BhuX...
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1
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Red River Post
Gell-Mann Amnesia (GMA) is a defense mechanism that occurs when someone reads a news article about a subject they know well and finds it to be inaccurate, but then proceeds to read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate. The term was coined by Michael Crichton and named after Murray Gell-Mann, a physicist with whom Crichton discussed the phenomenon.
Here's an example of GMA:
• You read a news article about a subject you know well, like physics, and find it to be full of errors.
• You read the article with exasperation or amusement, but then turn the page to read about national or international affairs.
• You read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate than the article you just read, even though it is just as likely to be inaccurate.
Crichton called these types of stories "wet streets cause rain" stories.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
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Red River Post
Comet while the strongest solar flare since 2005 impacts Earth over the horizon (you can’t see X-rays) on October 3, 2024 at a half past six.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on October 3 2024 at Dawn
youtube.com/shorts/PocRF7yWGU...
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 2
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Red River Post
Next time a comet appears around Dawn, gotta photograph it as early on the calendar as possible. Capturing tail without over exposing is difficult with a rising sun.
#CometC2023A3 on October 2
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3
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Red River Post
Make your tentative weekend aurora plans.
An X7.1 (R3) solar flare erupted from Region 3842 this evening. This was the second strongest flare of Solar Cycle 25, only bested by an X8.7 flare on May 14th
of this year.
But the bulk may miss earth to the southeast. Impact possible in 60-96 hours from now.
(Grok generated image)
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3
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Red River Post
The Taurid meteor shower is thought to be remnants of a comet that broke apart about 10,000 years ago.
Triple checked to make sure it wasn’t a satellite. Slightly green on right, faint smoke trail on next shutter and lines up with Taurid radiant.
The fireballs can be brighter than Venus. Need to cut brightness next time to capture more color, but it’s a good photo anyway.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 1
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Red River Post
Thought I missed comet this morning but got a couple meh photos that were dehazed. Taken at 6:34 am on September 27, 2024.
Spent most of the morning looking for Comet C/2023 A3, also known as Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, with 500mm reflex lens. Maybe tomorrow…
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 2
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Red River Post
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS reaches its perihelion on Friday. This marks its closest pass by our sun in its 80,000 year-long orbit.
On Thursday it became visible at 6:10 and lasted until at least 6:28. Those are timestamps of my photos.
No idea about times tomorrow but if sky is empty you may want to take a look to the east.
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 1
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Red River Post
I don’t think aurora made it this far south, but I wouldn’t know because solar storms put me into a deep sleep.
But still found a dark sky before Don and decided to look for a Draconids foreground in a few weeks.
Caught this at 5:30 and something I’ve realized is minor meteor shower info is conflicting.
1 month ago | [YT] | 2
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