Growing up on the east coast of the U.S. (Baltimore, Maryland), I knew nothing of Northern Lights. Perhaps there was a blip in a science class, or maybe a glorious National Geographic photo. Nor was it anything I experience after I moved to Arizona.
But when I had that wild opportunity in November 2008 to spend that month house sitting in Iceland, I was sure I would experience these first hand. I’d walk out on the side deck of the house I was at, north of Selfoss, and look for those streaks and swirls. On night I convinced myself I saw something but am pretty sure it was the moon. I had no idea what to look for– and I thought they would be as obvious as the photos.
Ironically I finally saw them on my last night in the country, when the house owners came home (we had not even met, I knew them through a mutual friend). After a dinner of reindeer stew (yup), one of them looked out the window, and said casually, like they had seen a neighbor’s cat, “Look, there are some northern lights”.
I grabbed my camera and ventured maybe 100 yards from the houses light, enduring for how long I could in subfreezing weather. And, as my flickr photos are titled, it was Northern Lights, Finally. Not really the multicolored sky spanning stuff in magazines, but still, slowly moving wisps of green glow.
Perhaps not the best as I was doing 20-30 second exposures with my Digital Rebel DSLR, I recall, maybe on a tripod, maybe balanced on a cold rock.
Fast forward to now. Now living in a rural home in Saskatchewan, with plenty of dark skies, the potential is a bit better. We saw some maybe in COVID lock down time, but my older iPhone 6 or 8 at the time was not much good.
All changed last week. Before getting ready for bed, Cori and I realized we needed to fill our vehicle with gas, so we headed out maybe 11pm to a nearby station. We go to the end of our driveway, and had to stop, as the dancing lights overhead were pretty visible.
It was the real deal! And now, with the capability of a newer iPhone 14 Pro, that long exposure night mode makes it almost too easy to get night shots that previously called for tripods and cable releases and exposure guessing.
We were impressed, Felix did not seem to think it was much of a big deal!
This was amazing… for 2 days. We drove home later last Thursday, the nights Cori teaches a seminar at the University of Regina. We could easily see streaks of green north of Highway 1. “Should we stop?” “Nah, they should be there when we get home”
And oh were they, So much, they did not seem real.
Admittedly, these colors and density of color was no quite what the naked eye sees, but much was still visible away from the camera. I honestly feels almost like cheating (almost as in horseshoes and hand grenades) that a mobile phone can capture these. I will still take credit!
I have no idea if there is a big message or metaphor here. The world can still present things that stun us out of our regular routines? If you wait long enough, you might experience what you thought not possible? Just look up and wonder?
Shrug.
It was just thrilling to stand out and marvel at the living sky, as its atmospheric particles were jimmied by fluxes of solar electricity. And to be humbled by something much bigger than is.
Featured Image: My own photo, no AI generated Northern Lights fake (aka Aurora Bullshit Is)– 2024/366/283 Not a Bad Backdrop for the Barn flickr photo by cogdogblog shared into the public domain using Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication (CC0)
Wow, those are some amazing shots, particularly the one of Feliz. It is like he is ready to be abducted by aliens. So good!
I was thinking of your icelandic (non)experience and hoping y’all had a great show while watching them through the phone lens down here…