There was some nice aurora with tall rays visible as early as 18:15 UTC this evening. However, I wasn’t able to get out with the camera until 20:00, by which time the activity had decreased to leave several weak bands extending low across the northern sky but not too much movement (Image 1). Activity remained weak between 21:00 and 22:50, but then suddenly strongly increased and around 23:00 there were several rayed bands of very vibrant green colours with pink edges that danced across the sky. I watched those by eye but did not have the camera ready until 23:14, by which time the strongest activity had died off a little. However, the aurora still covered a large area of the sky (Images 2 to 5). From 23:34 a very striking and well-differentiated rayed band formed amongst the diffuse aurora, with bright purple rayed tops (Image 6). The rayed band developed over several minutes to be very vivid in green and purple to the eye (Images 7 to 9), before moving slowly westwards in the sky and fading (Image 10). A beautiful night of aurora.
Image 1. 20:50 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 19 sec.
Image 2. 23:15 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 5.5 sec.
Image 3. 23:16 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 6 sec.
Image 4. 23:18 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 10 sec.
Image 5. 23:25 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 12 sec.
Image 6. 23:37 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 9.4 sec.
Image 7. 23:39 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 9.5 sec.
Image 8. 23:40 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 8.9 sec.
Image 9. 23:43 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 8.8 sec.
Image 10. 23:47 UTC. Settings = f/2.8, ISO3200, 14 mm, 11 sec.
