Auroras and their background
Due to severe geo-magnetic storms in May 2024, it was possible to watch auroras (aka “polar lights” or “nothern lights” in mid-European latitudes (< 51° North). Auroras are caused by disturbances of Earths’ magnetic field (the so called “Magnetosphere”) which interacts with the solar wind of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – please see the info-graphic below for more details.
Camera and Settings
Taken with a DJI Osmo Action (timelapse-mode, interval=10s, exposure=8s, ISO1600).
Session Planning
Based on the WSA-ENLIL solar wind prediction, I’ve set up my DJI Osmo Action for recording starting at 21:35CEST, because there was a predicted peak on 12.05.2024 at 01:00:00UT (UT is 2h ahead of CEST).
Timelapse and info-graphic
Below you can find the reel on instagram, together with an info-graphic about auroras.
Night 2 (11.05.2024 – 12.05.2024) of 2024’s extraordinary celestial event.
The peak was (as predicted) around 22:45CEST and lasted until around midnight.
Based on the color shown in the video (red-ish), I would assume that the interaction is to be categorized as “excited atomic oxygen at high altitudes” in about 240km altitude.
Single exposures
Below you can find an enhanced single frame of this nights’ aurora.
If you want to plan, here’s a collection of sources that I follow in that matter;
- the SWPC (Space Weather Prediction Center) dashboard for general information about Auroras
- the WSA-ENLIL heliosphere prediction model to get an understanding when solar winds and CMEs will hit Earths’ magnetosphere (..and cause geomagnetic storms)
- the 3-day geomagnetic forecast to get a prediction of the Kp value (the planetary K-index, Kp, is used to characterize the magnitude of geo-magnetic storms)
- Michael Theusner’s “Echtzeit-Polarlichtvorhersage” that is calculated for 53,5° North, 10,0° East
