Aurora & NLCs Observed!

[martinastro]

It was a busy nights observing. First at dusk with Mercury, Venus and the gibbous Moon and then with possible NLCs forming. During a break I got a text message from John Mc Connell at 01.18 BST alerting me to an aurora in the north. I raced outside as fast as I could with the camera to check it out. Despite having no dark adaption, as soon as my head looked out the front door I could see a bright aurora in the form of an intense green band in the north over 20 degrees high (higher than Capella). In the gaps between the houses I could also see a section of it in the NE below Cassiopeia. John had a better vantage point and could see it extending in a green arc from NW - NE. Within minutes it began to fade until it was a faint green band close to the horizon. I took several images but amazingly picked up nothing even though a bright aurora could clearly be seen. John actually drove to a hill where he could still see it. (My 73rd Aurora sighting).

Shortly after I spotted and confirmed the NLC display running from N - NE over 80 degrees in azimuth. It was extremely low (only 5 degrees above the horizon) but it was unmistakable in the form of a glowing bright (type 2) Veil (I) with soft edges. It was a blue-white colour and quite intense. (My 5th sighting of 2007) After 02.30 it vanished from the sky. John and Conor confirmed this display. This is the first time I have ever seen an Aurora and NLC on the same night! Thanks to John for sending that text message as 5 mins too late and I would have missed it.

[Administrator]

That's amazing Martin, I'm just trying to imagine how good one of those NLCs videos would be with Aurora in it also! Did you get any pics? Robert

[martinastro]

Spotted my 6th NLC display of 2007 before dawn this morning at 01.30 BST. A faint (type 1) Veil (I) which was very diffuse but stood out as an obvious blue glow hugging the horizon from the N - NE sky through Auriga, Perseus, Aries and Pisces extending over 80 degrees in azimuth. It was a low display only 5 degrees above the horizon but I could see that it was growing fast and reached 7 degrees in height. I had to be away at 8am so I called it a night at 03.00 but when I looked outside my window at 0.3.25 I was amazed to see that the top of the display had reached 25 degrees high! (well above Capella) only this time there were two strips of smoke like type IIb bands with diffuse edges so I went back outside and took a few more images. They were delicate but obvious against such a bright twilight sky. A dark sheet of stratus cloud covered the main body of the display all night so only the upper most section was visible.

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[martinastro]

Thanks Robert. It was amazing but I didn't get any good images worth sharing. The only one I got of the NLC display was not great either but at least I got to see it with my eyes which is the important thing.

Looking forward to seeing more of your NLC animations this year Robert. The big displays should be arriving anytime.

[Paul Evans]

Nice work Martin! I've been in the South-East of England for the last few days which was the monsoon season down there, so I haven't seen a thing!

Got home last night to a clear sky - saw Venus and the Twins, Jupiter and of course a wonderful Moon - took a few snaps in the direction of possible NLCs but can't say there's anything positive on them.

Thursday looks promising, though the Moon will be pretty full!

Clear skies,

Paul.

[martinastro]

Thanks Paul. Pity you were clouded out in England but it must have been nice coming back home to clear skies! Yes I believe that NLC display was forming in the early evening, in fact John and I thought the sky was suspicious in the NW at 22.45 onward.