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usonian

(10,215 posts)
Sat May 11, 2024, 03:02 AM May 11

Did I see it in Central California?

I checked the Yosemite webcams after giving up on an aurora sighting, and look 11:45 PDT:
That is one sensitive camera. It takes star pictures.
And the moon had already set at 11:25




Now that looked interesting, so I got out the camera and set it for long exposure in the northern direction.
The result is not the usual dark sky color.
There is nothing in that general direction except Yosemite National Park.




No processing, just a 15 second exposure at f/4, 22mm focal length.

It's mighty late, so I'll just pass these along, as likely aurora photos from latltude 37.5 degrees North.

ON EDIT.
I kicked up the brightness in the photo ONLY to show structure, and stars that weren't visible in the first photo.
The first represents how it looked to the unaided eye.


This has more detail to enjoy, but is definitely enhanced.

Probably not the lowest latitude the aurora was seen.



Webcam courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy.
https://yosemite.org

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Did I see it in Central California? (Original Post) usonian May 11 OP
Oooh! 2naSalit May 11 #1
That looks like it to me canetoad May 11 #2
Try north, presuming you're in the northern hemisphere. usonian May 11 #3
Right! elleng May 11 #4
I got some nice cloud photos earlier today, but they went away (I think) usonian May 11 #6
Ditto. Didn't bother to look. mahatmakanejeeves May 11 #8
Good morning! elleng May 11 #10
There's nothing between me canetoad May 11 #5
There may be more. usonian May 11 #7
Extremely visible in California Sympthsical May 11 #9

canetoad

(17,262 posts)
2. That looks like it to me
Sat May 11, 2024, 03:08 AM
May 11

Not that I've ever seen an aurora IRL

Hoping to head out with camera tonight and point it towards south pole. Apparently tonight is THE NIGHT!

usonian

(10,215 posts)
3. Try north, presuming you're in the northern hemisphere.
Sat May 11, 2024, 03:20 AM
May 11

All bets are off for the other half.
Good luck.

usonian

(10,215 posts)
6. I got some nice cloud photos earlier today, but they went away (I think)
Sat May 11, 2024, 03:33 AM
May 11

Scares me when the photos show dark spots, but they're birds at an enormous distance. (or not)

elleng

(131,889 posts)
10. Good morning!
Sat May 11, 2024, 11:07 AM
May 11

I actually stepped outside, and looked north, to confirm 'nothing happening.'

'Partly cloudy' here until 7 p.m. today, then 'mostly cloudy' until 2 a.m., then 'partly' and 'mostly' most of the day; 'sunny' and 'clear' won't appear until 8 p.m. Sunday!

Sympthsical

(9,238 posts)
9. Extremely visible in California
Sat May 11, 2024, 10:00 AM
May 11

I went out around 11pm. This is one of the pics I took. Iphone with a three second exposure near Napa.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18940256

It continued to strengthen the later it got until the entire northern sky was a very strong fuchsia color visible to the naked eye similar to your middle picture.

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