Huge aurora for a lucky client!
It appears that 2024 will be remembered for its massive aurora displays! Not only did we experience a massive storm on May 11th, but we were also treated to another magical display last week on August 12th. And I’ve no doubt that the lucky client I had booked for an astrophotography tour that night had an unforgettable experience.
Starting the night with a 40% moon, I knew we'd have a difficult time shooting the Milky Way. Despite being informed of this, my client was still keen to head out. Luckily there was some auroral activity, and with a Kp-index of 7, if conditions held, we’d be in for a good night.
At our first location, the night began with a faint aurora glow on the horizon. Nothing spectacular, but a nice point of interest in our photographs. Then while driving to our next location, I noticed that the sky had brightened significantly, and making an unplanned stop at a viewpoint on the side of the road we witnessed our first auroral beams of the night.
With some decent aurora shots and big smiles, we continued on to Meikle John's Bay, excited for what appeared to be a strengthening aurora display. Lady aurora didn’t disappoint! Treating us to magical green swirls and beams of light. My client was getting a night to remember.
Bringing us towards the end of our night we stopped at one more location. There was still some auroral activity, but it had seemed to have died down somewhat and after reflecting on the night we’d had decided to call it a night, or so we thought. While we were loading our equipment into the car, the sky suddenly lit up with an intense amount of light and colour. There were auroral beams everywhere! And completely visible with the naked eye! Fortunately, it lasted long enough for us to quickly set up and capture some truly stunning images. What a night! And what a lucky client!
Bringing us towards the end of our night we stopped at one more location. There was still some auroral activity, but it seemed to have died down somewhat and after reflecting on the night we’d had decided to call it a night, or so we thought. While we were loading our equipment into the car, the sky suddenly lit up with an intense amount of light and colour. There were auroral beams everywhere! And completely visible with the naked eye! Fortunately, it lasted long enough for us to quickly set up and capture some truly stunning images. What a night! And what a lucky client!
