Aurora borealis

We sometimes have aurora in Northern Germany. They occur mainly in spring or in autumn. I have been frequently able to see them and to take photos of them. But I had to get some experience to make good photos. The one shown here was a bit faint and I enhanced it a bit.

Auroras can be monitored by amateur radio. Radio waves are reflected by the aurora phenomena. I have made many hundred of contacts via aurora on frequencies from 14 MHz up to as high as 432 MHz. I even made my greatest distance (DX) on 432 MHz via aurora reflection with a radio amateur close to Moscow.

29 May 2003

On the evening of 29 May a major Aurora event occurred. I made a number of images either with my G1 DigiCam and my Nikon F90. Here is a selection of images of this major event.

29 May 2003 AURORA

1 October 2002

The Night 17 August 2001

Here are 4 images I made with my Canon G1 Digital camera. The Aurora was not very strong and I enhanced the images quite a lot. Click on the image to get further.

The Night 15/16 July 2000

Amateur Radio showed activity since the early afternoon of the 15 July 2000. But sky was overcast. The radio reflections disappeared at ca 1800 UT but returned soon again very strong. At 2200 UT local time clouds were gone and it was dark enough to see the Aurora even with a full moon in the south.. I made about 100 contacts in the 50 MHz Amateur Radio band with stations all over central Europe. Later I heard, that amateurs from Oslo had NO visual display. Here are some of the nicest images I made that night. I just received my slide scanner from Jenoptik JS11. These are the first scans.

Select stamp size images to get a better resolution

	Instrument: NIKON F90 - Tokina 2.6 .. 2.8 / 28 .. 70 mm Film: AGFA CTX100 100 ASA - Slide Exposure time: ca 60 sec Date: 15 July 1000 Notes: A view into zenith; The bright star is VEGA
	Instrument: NIKON F90 - Tokina 2.6 .. 2.8 / 28 .. 70 mm Film: AGFA CTX100 100 ASA - Slide Exposure time: ca 60 sec Date: 15 July 1000 Notes: The Amateur Radio Antenna against the Aurora curtain in the sky. On Top the 50 MHz Antenna and below you see the 28 MHz 3 Element. The bright star is VEGA
	Instrument: NIKON F90 - Tokina 2.6 .. 2.8 / 28 .. 70 mm Film: AGFA CTX100 100 ASA - Slide Exposure time: ca 60 sec Date:15 July 1000 Notes: The view to the west at about 2300 UT
	Instrument: NIKON F90 - Tokina 2.6 .. 2.8 / 28 .. 70 mm Film: AGFA CTX100 100 ASA - Slide Exposure time: ca 60 sec Date:16 July 1000 Notes: The east at ca 0130 UT already in morning dawn. Right above the building you see rising Jupiter and Saturn.

More Aurora Images

	Instrument: KIEV 19 - Tokina 2.6 .. 2.8 / 28 .. 70 mm Film: Kodak Elite II 400 ASA - Slide Exposure time: 20 sec Date:27 August 1998 / ca 0030 UT
	Instrument: KIEV 19 - Tokina 2.6 .. 2.8 / 28 .. 70 mm Film: Kodak Elite II 400 ASA - Slide Exposure time: 20 sec Date:27 August 1998 / ca 0130 UT
	Instrument: Practical Super TL, 2.8/50mm Film: Fuji RD 100 ASA - Slide Exposure time: 1 min Date:October 1992 / ca.2000 UT
	Instrument: Practical Super TL, 2.8/50mm Film: Fuji RD 100 ASA - Slide Exposure time: 1 min Date:November 1992 / ca.2000 UT

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