photographing the aurora borealis

[aostling]

You who live in northern climes don't know how lucky you are. This article makes me want to pack my gear and head north:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/te...s/aurora.shtml

[darryl]

Hmm. Very nice. A thought just occured to me of a way to harvest some of that energy. Some time ago I watched a tv program showing a couple guys harnessing lightning. Because this is a sky to ground stroke (or vice verca if you prefer), it becomes possible to shoot a wire upwards into a charged region of sky with which to create a path of least resistance so to speak and effect the discharge of the electrostatic charge to the base of the wire. They weren't storing the charge, but that could be arranged using enormous banks of supercaps or some equivalent.

The principle would be the same with aurorae, but probably requiring two conductive paths to be established, and at much higher altitudes. Piece of cake, right?

[Evan]

The aurora are happening at altitudes of several hundred kilometers. It's the upper ionosphere that is where the activity is. While the aurora themselves are the result of bombardment of the very tenuous upper atmosphere by energetic charged particles the energy density is extremely low. Even if granted all the unobtanium required to place collectors in near earth orbit there are many other problems without practical solutions preventing the exploitation of the charge difference between the ground and the upper reaches.

[Evan]

Here are a few of my images suitable for desktop wall paper. The last image is a composite I made from 5 different pictures I took.

[Bones]

Have any of you familiar with the Northern Lights listened to them? I have read that they make no sound, but have many times heard their music that
fluctuated with their shimmering.

bones

[Swarf&Sparks]

Hey, if you aint that far north, look left, there's always the aurora australis!

Great pics Evan.

[Evan]

Bones,

Any chance you happen to experience synesthesia? It isn't a common condition but those who have it often find it agreeable rather than a problem. I have experienced it on rare occasion but it isn't a part of my everyday life. I haven't ever heard the sounds of the aurora which is one of the reasons I developed my audiolumitron. I am hoping it will be able to translate the shimmer of the aurora into sounds that everyone can hear and appreciate.

Unfortunately the next solar cycle isn't yet making an appearance in the form of increased sunspot activity.

Synesthesia

[Rob Garner]

Believe it or not, I have even seen them here in the midwest 2 or 3 times. The last one being about 4 years ago. It was a really large display that lasted a good while. Thought I was seeing things until the local news had a small piece about it the next evening.