Aurora rays - 1.4.2023 at 01.00 - 1.4.2023 at 03.00 Kempele Observation number 113986

Copyright © 2023 Marko Haapala. All rights reserved.

Visibility III / V

Marko Haapala

Finally, after midnight, it cleared up and the arch appeared in the sky and a moment later again in a familiar spot within walking distance from home.

Dim or bright northern lights at their best, find out about it again as a layman.
Of course, the ski slope lights are on and the slope maintenance is in progress.

Of course, it offered a new visual look to the already familiar perspective.

Finally, the lights went dark and the normal mood continued and the rays of the aurora borealis were short-lived. The best seemed for a moment to be there in the direction of Oulu's light pollution and the camera is not turned in that direction, although the perspective is also ugly.

The best moment passed, but the eye could barely distinguish the reddish kayo for a moment and the camera distinguished a little better. Until three in the morning, I continued to wonder, but could not really light up again, even though individual rays appeared from time to time. Mostly, in laymen's terms, different floating patterns here and there in that field of vision, and anyway the eyes and the camera could distinguish a little better and from time to time they tried to clear up, but not for a long time.

The illuminating effect of the moon and the sky faded by light pollution, so a nice pastime with image processing, removing the gray curtain and making it more contrasty.

This description has been automatically translated from Finnish. Click here to see the original text.

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Additional information

Aurora brightness
- Dim auroras
Observed aurora forms
- Band
  
  Bands are usually narrower, more twisty at the bottom, brighter, and more active than arches. Bands usually develop from arches.
  
  Bands can form J and U shapes, sometimes even full spirals. The corona can also arise from bands. Bands are a fairly common form of aurora.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Merja Ruotsalainen.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Matias Takala.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Lea Rahtu-Korpela.
  
  Aurora bands. Photo by Lauri Koivuluoma.
  
  Aurora band. Photo by Matias Takala.
- Rays
  
  The raysare parallel to the lines of force of the magnetic field, i.e. quite vertical, usually less than one degree thick light streaks. The rays can occur alone or in connection with other shapes, mainly with arcs and bands. Short rays are usually brightest at the bottom but dim quickly. The longest rays, even extending almost from the horizon to the zenith, are usually uniformly bright and quite calm, and unlike the shorter rays, most often occur in groups of a few rays or alone. Rays, like bands, are a very typical form of aurora.
  
  Artificial light pillars, which are a halo phenomenon visible in ice mist, can sometimes be very similar to the rays of aurora. Confusion is possible especially when the lamps that cause the artificial light pillars are far away and not visible behind buildings or the forest. The nature of the phenomenon is clear at least from the photographs.
  
  Rays. Picture of Tom Eklund.
  
  Rays. Photo by Mika Puurula.
  
  Two beams rise from the aurora veil. Photo by Anssi Mäntylä.
  
  Two radial bands. Show Jani Lauanne.
  
  Radial band and veil. Photo by Jussi Alanenpää.
  
  Two rays. Photo by Aki Taavitsainen.
  
  It may be possible to confuse such rays with artificial light columns. Compare the image below. Picture of Tom Eklund.
  
  There is no aurora in this image, but all the light poles - including the wide and diffuse bar seen at the top left - are artificial light pillars born of ice mist. Photo by Sami Jumppanen.
  
  Aurora and artificial light pillars. All the radial shapes in the picture above are probably artificial light pillars that coincide appropriately with the aurora band. In the image below, the aurora band has shifted and does not overlap with the pillars produced by the orange bulbs. There is no orange in auroras. Photo by Katariina Roiha

Colors with unaided eye and other features
- Green auroras
  
  Green, seen with the naked eye, is one the most common colors of the aurora. The green color is derived from atomic oxygen.
  
  Green auroras. Lea Rahtu-Korpela.
  
  Green auroras. Photo by Juha Ojanperä.
- Red coloration of the shapes lower edge
  
  Red lower edge visible with the naked eye. The bands which are starting to level up their activity and are green colored have quite often a narrow red lower edge. This is the most common form of red color which is derived from molecular nitrogen.
  
  Aurora band with purple lower edge. Photo by Ilmo Kemppainen.
  
  The low hanging brightest aurora band is colored red at the lower edge. Photo by Tero Ohranen.
  
  Narrow purple reddish tones at the lower part of this aurora band. Photo by Merja Ruotsalainen.
  
  Purple band at the bottom. Photo by Panu Lahtinen.

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