The Northern Lights!
On Friday the 1st of December, it looked promising for the Northern Lights. I decided to head to Bassenthwaite Lake in the Lake District, as it has a good unobstructed view northwards, and met a friend there. It was forecast to be very cold (-5!) so I made sure I had plenty of layers, snacks and drinks. On route I stopped for a coffee and checked my phone. To my dismay there had been some red alerts for the Northern Lights from some of the apps I use (more on those later!), and I wondered if I had already missed out on seeing the aurora borealis for my very first time.
Nethertheless I continued on my journey, hopeful there would be more to come. I met my friend and we unloaded the car, carrying our bags, equipment and camping chairs to the edge of the lake. We set up and waited. It was bitterly cold, and we didn’t have long to wait. There was a log that was all frosty, and I thought that made the foreground a little more interesting so I framed my shot to include it. As I looked north to the horizon I pointed and thought I could see an off white movement, almost like a faint cloud. I took a shot and looked at the LCD screen- and there it was! The Northern Lights in all her glory!
I set my camera to take interval shots, not wanting to miss out. I ended up taking over 700 shots in total! I used 360 images to create the 12 second TimeLapse video you can see here. It was an amazing spectacle to witness at long last! The sky appeared a diffuse, pale red at times and you could see some movement. We were joined by my friends partner who had captured some stunning shots of the earlier activity in another location. It was a great evening spent with good company, and I was like a kid at Christmas to catch the aurora borealis for the very first time-and hopefully not the last!
We are approching solar maximum next year in 2024, so there has been heighten activity for the northern lights and there will be plenty of opportunities coming up if you want to witness this wonderful natural phenomenon. What causes the Northern Lights? Simply it is charged particles released from the sun hitting our atsmosphere, but to learn more this link has some great information. The sun has its own solar cycle, approximately an 11 year period of solar activity indicated by the frequency of sunspots visible on its surface. The peak of activity, or solar maximum, is predicted to occur between January and October 2024- great news if you are hoping to catch a glimpse! There has been heightened activity this year, and it looks set to continue :) you can read more on solar cycles here.
There are some things to remember if you are keen to witness the northern lights, firstly is that seeing them with the naked eye can be very different to images you see. That is because sensors in cameras are more sensitive than our eyes, so will pick up more detail and colour. You will need a camera and a tripod, and if you want to use the camera on your phone, make sure you have a tripod for it and are able to do long exposures. What you can see will depend on your attitude- the further north you are, the better your chances. Although with some of the really strong activity we have had lately, they have been captured in the South of the UK. You will need an unobstructed view northwards- when picking a potential location make sure you don’t have mountains northwards as they will obstruct your view (unless you are high enough). You also want to be away from light pollution, and if the moon is very full that can all wash out the northern lights. Although on this night there was a fair amount of moon (as you can see from how well lit the foreground is), so it just goes to show you sometimes you just never know unless you try!
Clouds can also be a hinderance- if you can’t see any stars you won’t see the aurora borealis! It has taken me many failed attempts to be able to see them, so don’t be disheartened and keep trying. It gets really cold at night so make sure you have plenty of layers and hot drinks. I take a camping chair with me so I can sit and watch.
There are plenty of Facebook groups for people hunting the northern lights- simply search for them on Facebook and find some groups for where you live. They have been a great source of information for me, and people are always happy to help out with location suggestions, tips, settings, etc. It is also worthwhile downloading some apps on your phone. Space Weather is a great one, I also have Aurora Watch Uk and Aurora Alerts on my phone. The best app I have is the Glendale app, but it isn’t on any app stores. It can be downloaded here, just follow the instructions. Some of the groups I am in on Facebook; AUK-Aurora UK, Cumbria Aurora Group and UK Stargazers & Aurora Updates.
Please be mindful and respectful if you go to a location and there are people there already- use the red light function on your head torch if you must use one, or turn it down low and avoid directly shining it at those shooting. If you give your eyes 20 minutes without a light they adjust to the darkness. On the Timelapse you can see someones head torch shining on the foreground- a person had a very bright one on and decided to come over and shine it directly on us, and became a bit shirty when I politely explained what we were doing and the light was ruining the shot.
Will you be heading out and trying to catch the northern lights? Good luck and happy hunting if so! Would you like more blog posts covering the norther lights? Let me know your suggestions below!