Tag Archives: Northern Lights

Northern Light s Real Time Video in NE Minnesota on March 8, 2025

Year 12,

35 seconds of last night’s Northern Lights display in NE Minnesota. This is NOT an enhanced time lapse. This is “real time” as I watched it at Boulder Lake a bit north of Duluth. The only post processing I performed was to remove color (i.e. reduce color saturation) and digital noise because I wanted folks to experience what I saw. Cameras tend to record the Aurora as having much more green than what we typically see in NE Minnesota. Finally, my camera is NOT an expensive device. It is a Sony A6300 (released in 2016) using 3200 ISO and an aperture of 2.0 on a wide angle lens. I try to focus on realism in my astrophotography (i.e. what I am able to see with my naked eye, as opposed to the camera which can see a broader light spectrum). My approach is not better than photographers who choose to record more light than me. Photography is art.

Video Link for this blog’s email subscribers

And of course here are a few still images from last night’s dance by Lady Aurora. My only post processing edits in a manner similar to my video was to tone down the colors (remove green) and sharpen the photographs. The almost full moon (70% of full last night) often washed out a Northern Lights display, but last night it allowed me to better photograph the landscape. There were very defined shadows from the moon (my tripod, me, etc).

I knew from personal experience, that when the arc stats to get intense, the dance will normally start soon.

Lady Aurora is dancing!

Lady Aurora Dances and Dances!

Year 11

Last night was epic, but nothing much had been forecast with respect to a dance by Lady Aurora, but she is fickle! Shortly after sunset it became obvious that the Northern Lights might make an appearance. The skies were clear, and the moon had set by 9 pm when the Lady decided to dance … and oh my how she danced. The entire sky was filled with her performance. One could even look south and watch pulsating rays of color.

Here is a video I took about 9:20 pm. This is NOT a time lapse compilation of images. It is the real time dance of Lady Aurora taken on a somewhat common camera (Sony A6300 at 3200 ISO) Make certain you watch the short video through to its ending. The lights just keep getting better and better! (video link for email subscribers)

Northstar Lake (from my dock)

Suomi Lutheran Church

Smith Lake (looking north, then south!)

Summer Northern Lights

Year 11, ,

While it is true that the best Northern Lights displays may be seen in Alaska or Norway, their proximity to the Arctic Circle (above or below) means that in the summer months the Land of the Midnight Sun means Aurora watching is just not possible. Down here in northern Minnesota as the days stretch towards the end of summer, we actually have some darkness. After the moon set last night at 11 pm there was a fantastic Northern Lights display.

Earlier last night I had driven up from my home at the northern edge of Duluth to the Isabella area near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), but I found the best show was when I returned home. Up by the BWCA there was too much water vapor in the air (it rained during my drive north). This image was taken at “The Deeps” … Duluth Lester / Amity Park (200 yards from the end of my driveway).

Sand River near the BWCA

Lake County 2 … Road Scene and Zenith

Please note … many Northern Lights photographs you will see from the Lower 48 will show more dramatic colors, including red tinges to the images. I like a photograph that more accurately reflects what I am able to while Aurora watching. Thus, in post image processing I lessen the color and saturation found in my Northern Lights photos. The camera can see more light, and more spectrums than the naked eye. The other images are not wrong, but I prefer to capture something much more in line with what I actually am able to view.