Aurora borealis

Posted 25 April 2011 by Matt Young

Photograph by Bud (Santa) Kuenzli.

Aurora borealis. Mr. Kuenzli, who lives in North Pole, Alaska, writes that this shot "jumped out at me because it looked like a dragon breathing fire" and adds, "Pareidolia is the term for the phenomenon of seeing images like animals in clouds or Jesus' face on a piece of toast, or a dragon in the aurora borealis." Or cyanobacteria in a meteorite?

11 Comments

Glen Davidson · 25 April 2011

That certainly beats iron filings for tracing out magnetic field lines.

Glen Davidson

GvlGeologist, FCD · 25 April 2011

Can I just say, "Wow"?

Many years ago I did some field work in Ellesmere Island, about half way between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole. All three of us planning to go there had a moment of, "Oh boy, we'll see the Northern Lights!!!" And then we realized we would be there in the summer, north of the Arctic Circle. Nuts.

Ichthyic · 25 April 2011

Can I just say, "Wow"?

Can I just second that remark?

This might be one of the best compositions of an aurora shot I've seen.

I'd be happy to pay for a poster-sized print of that one.

digibud · 25 April 2011

I'm not sure if I'm out of line for saying that you can order prints of this or any of my other shots at http://www.pbase.com/santa/aurora. Thanks for the comments and thanks, Matt for the exposure.

Pete Moulton · 26 April 2011

Words fail...

GvlGeologist, FCD · 26 April 2011

Thanks for the comments and thanks, Matt for the exposure.

No, thank you for the exposure! ;^)

hoary puccoon · 26 April 2011

GvlGeologist, FCD said: Can I just say, "Wow"? Many years ago I did some field work in Ellesmere Island, about half way between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole. All three of us planning to go there had a moment of, "Oh boy, we'll see the Northern Lights!!!" And then we realized we would be there in the summer, north of the Arctic Circle. Nuts.

I spent a week in late June in arctic Norway and Finland. The sun was up 24 hours a day the whole time. But a bunch of people have said, "Oh, then you saw the Northern lights." And I've had to explain, "No, I saw the midnight sun." Some of them even replied, "Isn't that the same thing?" So you were certainly not alone in your confusion. I've never seen the Northern lights. But it's great to have this look at them-- without having to spend the winter in North Pole, Alaska.

KeithB · 26 April 2011

There are some nice ones here:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/techniques/aurora.shtml

Ichthyic · 26 April 2011

you can order prints

*looks*

*gulp*

I'll have to wait a bit for the poster-sized version, methinks.

JoeBuddha · 27 April 2011

I've seen 'em as far south as Bellingham, Wa. As awesome as this picture is, it still can't do 'em justice.

Mike Elzinga · 28 April 2011

hoary puccoon said:
GvlGeologist, FCD said: Can I just say, "Wow"? Many years ago I did some field work in Ellesmere Island, about half way between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole. All three of us planning to go there had a moment of, "Oh boy, we'll see the Northern Lights!!!" And then we realized we would be there in the summer, north of the Arctic Circle. Nuts.
I spent a week in late June in arctic Norway and Finland. The sun was up 24 hours a day the whole time. But a bunch of people have said, "Oh, then you saw the Northern lights." And I've had to explain, "No, I saw the midnight sun." Some of them even replied, "Isn't that the same thing?" So you were certainly not alone in your confusion. I've never seen the Northern lights. But it's great to have this look at them-- without having to spend the winter in North Pole, Alaska.

Well, if you had just taken along a pair of welder’s goggles to block out the sun …. ;-)