Chance of Northern Lights over Scotland and Northern England

Kp of 4 predicted just before midnight so it should start to show then if sky is clear.
 
GeordieLass said:
I've had no luck talking my sis into coming out anywhere dark with me if it kicks off. I'm too paranoid (or sensible being a short girly!) to be standing about in the dark by myself with a load of camera kit. I need to make some friends I can bribe into coming out with me lol.

If anyone gets photos I'll look forward to seeing them (with extreme jealousy).
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Where are you about Kat? I am still thinking where is good to observe the NL in Newcastle.
 
Oooh, 40 minutes until it'll be like this apparently!
kp4.jpg


Might head out myself and hope to get lucky. I left my tripod in Birmingham though :banghead:
 
MWHCVT said:
Well that is a shame, if I were closer you'd be welcome out shooting any evening with me but allas it's a little far right now :( always better to be out with someone, not really for the safety aspect thought that is always a plus, but more for the company, I find star trails all ways go so much faster if I've someone to chat with :thumbs:
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Awww thanks. I'd love to do more night shooting but the getting someone to come with me is near impossible. I 'accidentally' shot the aurora a few years ago - having headed out to try shoot stars and no mention anywhere of an active aurora. There was a white haze on the horizon I assumed was fog until it appeared as bright green on my camera screen. I've been desperate to get a better photo since then.

Meant to be taking my Guides camping at Kielder in May so I'm hoping for clear nights so when they're all sleeping I can slip away until the early hours. Who needs sleep anyway when you're looking after a bunch of kids? Lol

Looks like it's clouded over now anyway. :( maybe tomorrow night.
 
Just been out with dogs

I've a pretty uninterupted view North up here as I live on a hill but nothing bar a perfectly cloudless black sky with a zillion twinkling stars at present.
 
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You could walk the dog it's soo bright here, from the moon that is, one real benefit to having no light pollution, just too bloody south!!!!
 
Clear as a bell here, but no sign, just out doing some pics of Orion with my 50mm F1.8 lens to pass the time
 
marcuskill said:
Peter Scott and crew
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Sorry not a name I'm familiar with but I do know a friend of mine was heading in that direction this evening in the chase if the AB at least I think that he was :lol:
 
Still clear as a bell up here in Perthshire but just lots of stars.

Left 1D3 / 17-40 set up outside to the Northern sky just in case. Cable release upstairs and kids asleep so if anything happens (I'm not holding my breath) I'm just going with 30 secs and I'll play with the ISO

Another log on the fire.
 
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I've given up....looks like it isn't playing ball.
 
yeah i just had a look this is all new to me sorry to sound like a fool... oh well off to be it is then.. thank you all
 
Oh well - at least I sorted out some of my camera bag :)
 
MWHCVT said:
Well my camera is going to be running anyway, it's not a spectacular scene for a star trail being just garden tree tops but it will do as I've hardly done a lot recently
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Hope you get something worthwhile Matt

I took a few just to set up but when bringing it all back inside I discovered I'd stuck one of my tripod legs in a dog poo. :confused:
 
i had my kit set up but i can't leave it out on it's own due to the wildlife around here.. off to bed now.. hope who ever stays up gets some decent shots of the night sky..
 
I went out with my better half but nothing, just a lot of clouds and planes. Not to mention the fact I didn't get one good photo lol. Was a good laugh mind you and there were a few people out trying to see the lights.
 
Just back from the view point in beacon fell overlooking lancaster.. 35 mins drive.. there was a lot of cars when I got there (just aftre midnight)... loads of people same idea.. spoke to a bloke from blackpool who had been there a couple of hrs ..he said it was clear earlier.. showed me some long exposure and some light painting he was doing while waiitng... cameras and tipods a plenty but all clouds :(

Oh well.. you have to give it a go eh :(


This is the view on a cold and very very dark night


nl.jpg
 
Yep, twas all wrong to see them here. I knew it was unlikely even on a sooper dooper night this far south and with so much light pollution down here, but rather bored I went out anyway and settled for some stars over the distant glow of Stansted airport instead. [edit: replace with big version on flickr, probably best way to view it]


Stansted Spitting Out Aircraft into the Stars by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr



Also, one go at stacking star trails.... would have been longer, but sitting atop what passes for a hill in these parts, one my own, in the gateway of a farm, I got a bit worried when the same chavvy Merc drove past 3 times so called time on this one. As you can see, not short of those aircraft in this either


Startrails Over Hertfordshire by Yvonne White - WhiteGoldImages, on Flickr
 
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Just come back from Tromso Norway to chase and shoot the AB and doing a blog with advice for shooting it. Settings would be as wide as you can go, 17mm is good, I found 24mm too narrow. Camera on manual, Widest aperture, my f4 wasn't best, f2.8 would be better. ISO between 1600 & 3200 and shutter around 8 to 20 secs. Tripod essential and focus manual set to infinity (be careful as to where your lens infinity mark is, not always fully twisted!) remote and mirror lock up. I was using a FF canon 5D III

AB is a bit disappointing to the naked eye unless extreme due to human eye using rods for night vision ( so I have read) so shooting and viewing on LCD screen also useful as we saw on camera what we couldn't see with naked eyes too well.

Wish I was still in Norway!
 
Nice one for getting out all :) nothing here either but as I said to a friend earlier I rated my expectancies at below 5% as expected it was actually less than 0.0001% :lol: :lol: least I had a good film to watch
 
KIPAX said:
Just back from the view point in beacon fell overlooking lancaster.. 35 mins drive.. there was a lot of cars when I got there (just aftre midnight)... loads of people same idea.. spoke to a bloke from blackpool who had been there a couple of hrs ..he said it was clear earlier.. showed me some long exposure and some light painting he was doing while waiitng... cameras and tipods a plenty but all clouds :(

Oh well.. you have to give it a go eh :(


This is the view on a cold and very very dark night


nl.jpg
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Nice to meet you mate. I've just got back. It started raining about 30 mins after you left so I called time and went home. Got to be at work at 6:30 too... What a drain!
 
Stu Blackpool said:
Nice to meet you mate. I've just got back. It started raining about 30 mins after you left so I called time and went home. Got to be at work at 6:30 too... What a drain!
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ha! some bloke form blackpool :) I take it you didn't see this thread before you went then ? can't wait to see some of your pics on here then cus they will put my one effort to shame :) although that was my first ever long shutter.. I had to go in camera as mine was set for lowest shutter speed 250 (safety net for my work) in order to get my 20-30 seconds :)

I ahve been inspired :)
 
I heard the media hype about this last night but I was surprised because i didn't think the conditions were that favourable from the usual stuff I had seen.

I don't really bother with aurorae anymore to be honest, seeing it in this country is nothing like seeing it right up north and having it dancing overhead.

I did pick up a faint trace of it up in Moray on Tuesday night though. Back in October I caught it as far South as Girvan, fairly strong and visible with the naked eye which was different from the norm.
 
KIPAX said:
ha! some bloke form blackpool :)
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Ha Ha. It was only reading your description that got me wondering, then right at the end it was confirmed. LOL
I might request a username change to "Some Bloke From Blackpool" I quite like that. :D

I take it you didn't see this thread before you went then ?
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No - sadly.

can't wait to see some of your pics on here then cus they will put my one effort to shame
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I doubt it - had real problems with the lens steaming up and fear the keeper ratio will be low. Will find out soon once Ive got another car dyno'd and off to the trailer for tomorrows race.
The CF card is sat on my desk glaring at me...


I have been inspired
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Me too actually... deffo going to go and do the lakes one night and get some stars in the backdrop at some of my usual haunts up there.
 
GeordieLass said:
I've had no luck talking my sis into coming out anywhere dark with me if it kicks off. I'm too paranoid (or sensible being a short girly!) to be standing about in the dark by myself with a load of camera kit. I need to make some friends I can bribe into coming out with me lol.
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If only I'd seen this thread yesterday, you could have joined us! Me and a friend went to Dunstanburgh Castle. No Northern Lights but completely clear skies until about one when a few clouds started appearing so we gave up and went home.
 
I was watching this thread last night but wasn't holding much hope this far south. Looked out at midnight but cloud cover put paid anything.

Whilst dropping the nipper off this morning I heard on the radio that it might show tonight as well. Are they just a bit slow or is there a chance tonight as well?
 
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