Half-sky auroras - 14.9.2023 at 21.30 - 15.9.2023 at 03.30 Oulu Observation number 118717

Copyright © 2023 Marko Haapala. All rights reserved.

Visibility IV / V

Marko Haapala

Phew! Still, even on 17.9, but at that time it was the so-called a light night and cycling to Oulu started already at 20:00 and the journey was exciting because of the fountains and surprisingly there was no passing water so I showered them.

There was no more time to take a breath and the first pictures were taken around the Rautasilla and the sky was still quite light. After a while we were around the park.

The exposure bracketing was then in really hard use and it was difficult to be in ten different places at the same time, so I had to quickly take a few series of pictures at one point with the northern lights swinging in the sky and speeding on a bike to another known perspective and the same measures and changing the place again, so stretching the tripod and lying down became familiar and already missed new stand when it has suffered a little in use.

Just out of breath, I made it to Nallikari when the brightest screen was thrown around and I had to hurry and the corona was over my head, which I also had time to photograph, and then it was late at night and maybe 4:45 I got home.

So I collected quite a bit of pictures and the waterways were so dirty that I was able to spot them clean and when I still had the HDR prints, I was able to sit at the computer for a bit, but fortunately there was enough rain again and clouds but finally a little better aurora borealis around Oulu in my area and even illuminated fountains included.

Thighs and calves are still screaming hosanna, and there's still a slight general tiredness on top of that. Still, the processing of the images continues, feeling free with visual freedoms with image processing, tearing up what I can handle when I can't move, if not the first night again...

This description has been automatically translated from Finnish. Click here to see the original text.

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Additional information

Aurora brightness
- Bright auroras
Observed aurora forms
- Arc
  
  ARC The arcs are wider than the bands and do not fold as strongly. The arcs are normally neither very bright nor active.
  
  The arc is probably the most common form of aurora. When aurora show is a calm arc in the low northern sky it often doesn’t evolve to anything more during night. In more active shows the arc is often the first form to appear and the last to disappear.
  
  The lower edge of the arc is usually sharp but the upper edge can gradually blend into the background sky. As activity increases rays and folds normally develop, and the arcs turn gradually into bands.
  
  An aurora arc runs across the picture. Vertical shapes are rays. Photo by Atacan Ergin.
  
  Aurora Arc. Photo by Mauri Korpi.
  
  Aurora Arc. Photo by Anna-Liisa Sarajärvi.
  
  Aurora Arc. Photo by Matti Asumalahti.
- Corona
  
  CoronaA corona is a hand fan shaped structure, it usually forms south of the observer's zenith, most commonly consisting of rays or bands. The corona is usually the most beautiful part of the aurora show. It is bright and active, but on the other hand also short-lived.
  
  Aurora corona. Photo by Anna-Liisa Sarajärvi.
  
  Aurora corona. Photo by Merja Ruotsalainen.
  
  Corona formed from bands. Photo by Markku Ruonala.
  
  Aurora corona. Photo by Tapio Koski.
- Band
  
  Bands are usually narrower, more twisty at the bottom, brighter, and more active than arches. Bands usually develop from arches.
  
  Bands can form J and U shapes, sometimes even full spirals. The corona can also arise from bands. Bands are a fairly common form of aurora.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Merja Ruotsalainen.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Matias Takala.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Lea Rahtu-Korpela.
  
  Aurora bands. Photo by Lauri Koivuluoma.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Matias Takala.
- Rays
  
  The raysare parallel to the lines of force of the magnetic field, i.e. quite vertical, usually less than one degree thick light streaks. The rays can occur alone or in connection with other shapes, mainly with arcs and bands. Short rays are usually brightest at the bottom but dim quickly. The longest rays, even extending almost from the horizon to the zenith, are usually uniformly bright and quite calm, and unlike the shorter rays, most often occur in groups of a few rays or alone. Rays, like bands, are a very typical form of aurora.
  
  Artificial light pillars, which are a halo phenomenon visible in ice mist, can sometimes be very similar to the rays of aurora. Confusion is possible especially when the lamps that cause the artificial light pillars are far away and not visible behind buildings or the forest. The nature of the phenomenon is clear at least from the photographs.
  
  Rays. Picture of Tom Eklund.
  
  Rays. Photo by Mika Puurula.
  
  Two beams rise from the aurora veil. Photo by Anssi Mäntylä.
  
  Two radial bands. Show Jani Lauanne.
  
  Radial band and veil. Photo by Jussi Alanenpää.
  
  Two rays. Photo by Aki Taavitsainen.
  
  It may be possible to confuse such rays with artificial light columns. Compare the image below. Picture of Tom Eklund.
  
  There is no aurora in this image, but all the light poles - including the wide and diffuse bar seen at the top left - are artificial light pillars born of ice mist. Photo by Sami Jumppanen.
  
  Aurora and artificial light pillars. All the radial shapes in the picture above are probably artificial light pillars that coincide appropriately with the aurora band. In the image below, the aurora band has shifted and does not overlap with the pillars produced by the orange bulbs. There is no orange in auroras. Photo by Katariina Roiha

Colors with unaided eye and other features
- Green auroras
  
  Green, seen with the naked eye, is one the most common colors of the aurora. The green color is derived from atomic oxygen.
  
  Green auroras. Lea Rahtu-Korpela.
  
  Green auroras. Photo by Juha Ojanperä.

Technical information

Canon 6D Mark II + Sigma 14mm F/1.8

Lightroom, DxO PureRAW 2, Topaz Labs Photo AI, Luminar Neo, Photoshop

Comments: 2 pcs

Maritta Kinnunen - 17.9.2023 at 20.57

Upeita kuvia kummassakin julkaisussa. Mukava katsella tälläisiä missä maisemat ja nähtävyydet on mukana :)

Kari Kaila - 18.9.2023 at 10.34

Upeita otoksia ja revontulia kaupunkiympäristössä! Näistä olisi mukavaa aineistoa myös tulevan kulttuuripääkaupungin mainoksiin!!

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