Tag Archives: Aurora Borealis

Atmosphere

Solar activity at its highest

During the last five days there has been a peak in solar activity and geomagnetic storms have resulted in Aurora borealis being seen in most countries in Europe and as far south as California in the USA.

Here in Iceland the Northern lights have been magnificent for several nights, sporting colours seldom seen. The sky has been lit up almost like after a colour explosion. Red and pink being dominant which is not usually the case, whereas green as the most common.

The Northern lights have been so strong that the light pollution from the town does not interfere. These photoes were taken last night in Selfoss, South Iceland, between  the hours 21 to 22, but the activity continued throughout the night until morning. For the next 24 hours, forecasts predict the same activity.

Share
Atmosphere, Landscape, Weather

Engulfed in cold Arctic air

Clear skies and dry cold air comes with air mass from the Arctic.

After a fairly mild February it has in the last ten days  become freezing cold again. We are now in the middle of March so we have already started looking forward to spring. But no such thing in the forecasts. The cold air that engulfs us now comes straight from the North Pole, flooding down the Atlantic between Greenland and Norway, with Iceland in the middle. An air mass like this contains very cold and dry air. In the South of Iceland we have beautiful clear skies with considerable wind and temperatures well below zero. Because of the cold there is hardly a cloud to be seen and the sky is bright and blue. The frost has been between -2°C to -13°C most days. Here in Selfoss it has gone down to -15°C but in the North -25°C. And with the wind it feels much colder.

There has been quite a lot of solar activity lately with the Northern Lights dancing in the sky every night here in the south of Iceland. Since the sky is clear and no clouds conditions for experiencing and enjoying Aurora Borealis have been excellent, not to mention photographing. It is quite a challenge to capture the Northern Lights on camera in -10°C like yesterday evening when it was also windy. After 30 minutes outside your nose and fingers are frozen to the bone but of course it was worth it.

Similar weather is predicted in the coming weeks.

Share
Atmosphere, Weather

Northern Lights set the sky afire

Northern Lights January 15, 2023

Seldom has the sky been so brightly lit up with Northern Lights than last night. It was ablaze and just like we remember it from when we were children. There has been a lot of Northern Lights activity this winter which will continue for the next two years according to forecasts.

Solar activity increased last year and will be at a peak in two years time.

And again the pictures say more than words although they can never convey the feelings you experience seeing the Norhern Lights dancing in the night sky with your own eyes.

Pictures taken in the garden last night, – 15°C.

 

Share
Atmosphere, Landscape, Weather

Northern Light activity

There has been a peak in solar activity in the last few days but cloudy skies here in the South have often prevented us from seeing them clearly and photographing them.  The North of the country, however, has enjoyed clearer skies and some magnificent shows of Aurora Borealis.

These photos were taken by Lake Þingvallavatn a few days ago when the the clouds gave way to the Northern Lights. Its colours were reflected in the frozen lake and the moon lit up the scenery.

A few nights ago we had some strong Northern Lights in green and beautiful red to pink colours. They could be seen dancing across the sky over Selfoss despite the lights from town.

Share
Atmosphere, Weather

Low solar activitiy and Northern Lights

Norðurljós – Northern Lights – Aurora borealis

It’s Northern Light time and despite low solar activity they can still take your breath away. For a few days last week we had some Northern Lights albeit not the multi-coloured variety but beautiful all the same.

These pictures were taken around 8 – 10 o’clock in the evening in Grímsnes, South Iceland, temperature around 0° C.

Share
Atmosphere

Geomagnetic storms

Aurora Borealis is a mesmerising phenomena. Although solar activity is at a minimum this year the Northern Lights can still be spectacular, as was the case last night.  After midnight I caught these pictures and the Northern Lights were captivating despite the temperature being minus 14° C.

Solar activity is at a minimum this year and will probably be in the next two years as well.  Although solar activity is an indicator for spectacular Northern Lights, it  is not always the case. In the last few days the Earth has been inside a stream of solar winds which cause geomagnetic storms around the Arctic Circle. Thus these magnificent shows of Aurora Borealis.

Share
Atmosphere

Always as fascinating

This autumn the Northern Lights activity has been high but weather conditions not always as good as desired. Often there have been cloudy skies but conditions for viewing better in the North.

The Northern Lights are always as fascinating and I never seem to tire of trying to catch a good photo.

Last week I managed to catch some nice photoes but one must be vigilant and ready with the camera because the activity most often only lasts for a few minutes at a time.

Share
Atmosphere, Weather

Excellent week for Northern Lights

Some very nice Northern Lights could be seen all over Iceland last week. The weather was excellent, beautiful clear skies. The red ones were spectacular but only lasted for a short while. When I managed to get outside and put up my gear, they had vanished and the more common green colours had replaced the red ones.

Photos taken by Lake Thingvallavatn.

See my flickr here !

Share
Atmosphere

Red Northern Lights

Red / purple Northern Lights on the south sky above Selfoss, South Iceland 27 February 2014

Normally, the Northern Lights are greenish in colour. Other colour variations from pink, to purple and red and blue can sometimes be seen but are not as common.

In the TV series Fortitude, season 2, filmed in Iceland, red Northern Lights adorn the night sky. These are, alas, not real thing and probably made with the help of computers.

Red Northern Lights are actually very rare and I have never seen anything like the ones in the TV series. Reds with a mix of green are more the real thing.

On February 27, 2014, Northern Lights in red and purple colours, mixed with the normal green, lit up the sky in Selfoss. That incredible  evening  I caught a lot of photos in my  garden.

Share