Aurora Borealis, May 10, Part 3

I had fully intended to finish off these blogs regarding the aurora with some images with visible landscape in the foreground to put the light show in perspective. Then I found these three overlooked images and just had to share them. These three were taken with the camera pointed toward the zenith. The one above was a 10 second exposure.

Thirty seconds later this image was taken with a 15 second exposure. Notice how the image is smoother and less detailed due to the constant motion of the light. The faster image actually shows more of the structure of the aurora. The longer exposures smooth out the light in much the same way as a long exposure of moving clouds smooths out the cloud structure.

Again, taken about 30 seconds later, this image was also a 15 second exposure. With the first two the camera was aimed at exactly the same spot for both images. The camera shifted slightly for this image such that more of the lower portion is showing here. Note the tiny star in the lower right corner is not visible in the first two images as it was just below the edge of the photo. I just love how the colors are constantly changing and shifting position. These auroras are truly dynamic.

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