Northern Lights in Philly?

dawei213 · 21st of November 2008 (Fri)

Quality isn't great but I was able to capture these images outside of my house two nights ago around 9pm. They're not the northern lights, but light pillars. It's still pretty cool to see it.

Nighthound · 21st of November 2008 (Fri)

Awesome shots!

I assume these are street/city light induced pillars? Too far past sunset and no Moon.

very, very cool.

timeasterday · 21st of November 2008 (Fri)

Pretty cool. They mentioned these on Spaceweather: http://www.spaceweather.com/

hobbes2112 · 21st of November 2008 (Fri)

I saw Northern Lights onetime in very rural eastern Ohio. So it is possible down that low, but you'd have to go way out of town to do it.

EricL · 21st of November 2008 (Fri)

That is more "Northern Lights" than I have seen!! Neat shot!

Tumbl3w33ds · 21st of November 2008 (Fri)

I am jealous

Great shots!

Celestron · 21st of November 2008 (Fri)

Well even tho they are NOT Northern lights they are still light pillars . I saw the same ones also at spaceweather.com today and they are still an astronomical event cause it deals with the atmospheric conditions . Nice shots !

Canuck · 22nd of November 2008 (Sat)

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricL

That is more "Northern Lights" than I have seen!! Neat shot!

Wow, that's surprising...I saw them in Sept, 2005 when I was up there. They were green and I was at the Walmart south of Dimond and Old Seward Hwy. I went down to Potters Marsh for a better look. It was cool! This wasn't much later than 2100. Weird.

Here's a link I use: http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/ and to watch it: http://salmon.nict.go.jp/awc/live/index_v_e.php as I am now in the lower 48.

markjpcs · 23rd of November 2008 (Sun)

Very cool!

EricL · 23rd of November 2008 (Sun)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canuck

Wow, that's surprising...I saw them in Sept, 2005 when I was up there. They were green and I was at the Walmart south of Dimond and Old Seward Hwy. I went down to Potters Marsh for a better look. It was cool! This wasn't much later than 2100. Weird.

Here's a link I use: http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/ and to watch it: http://salmon.nict.go.jp/awc/live/index_v_e.php as I am now in the lower 48.

They have really been quiet this year. I use that first site you mentioned and about 5 others. If 3 of them are saying they will be out, I'll head up the mountain. If it is a solar storm, I'll head north of town to get away from all the city lights. Potter Marsh is a pretty good place if they are at least a 5 on the Kp scale. Still hoping for some activity!

Canuck · 23rd of November 2008 (Sun)

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricL

They have really been quiet this year. I use that first site you mentioned and about 5 others. If 3 of them are saying they will be out, I'll head up the mountain. If it is a solar storm, I'll head north of town to get away from all the city lights. Potter Marsh is a pretty good place if they are at least a 5 on the Kp scale. Still hoping for some activity!

Duh! <--that was intended for me, Canuck, as we're on the bottom of the sunspot cycle. That just came to mind. I'm not entirely sure if we've hit rock bottom or not. It seems to me that you don't know till you get there. As you have seen the Kp has been low and there really hasn't been any sunspot activity to speak of.

TekHouse · 24th of November 2008 (Mon)

Great shots!

dawei213 · 29th of November 2008 (Sat)

Duh! Forgot about this thread... =P

Yeah, it's definitely not the Northern light as that would be much higher in the atmosphere. They are light pillars as Celestron has pointed out. It was pretty cool to see all those pillars in the sky. It was like a scene out of a Superman movie back at Krypton.

Jethro790 · 1st of December 2008 (Mon)

I have seen Northern Lights out my backdoor in Southern NH, about two years ago.

Never knew about light pillars, very cool!

black_z · 1st of December 2008 (Mon)

Awesome, whatever it is!

21st of November 2008 (Fri)	#1
dawei213 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 377	Northern Lights in Philly? Quality isn't great but I was able to capture these images outside of my house two nights ago around 9pm. They're not the northern lights, but light pillars. It's still pretty cool to see it. __________________ 7D \| 17-55 \| 24-105 f4L IS \| Sigma 70-200 f2.8 APO EX DG HSM OS \| 580EX II \| 7MDH \| An extremely light wallet now...

21st of November 2008 (Fri)	#2
Nighthound Cream of the Crop Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 9,477	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? Awesome shots! I assume these are street/city light induced pillars? Too far past sunset and no Moon. very, very cool. __________________ Steve Canon Gear: 1D Mark IV \| 1D Mark II \| 5D \| 20D \| 500L IS (f/4) \| 100-400L My Astro Gallery http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y67...OTN%20Gallery/

21st of November 2008 (Fri)	#3
timeasterday Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Buford, GA Posts: 852 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? Pretty cool. They mentioned these on Spaceweather: http://www.spaceweather.com/ __________________ 5DMKII, Canon 17-40L, Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro, Canon 70-200mmL f/2.8 II "小白兔", Zeiss ZE 50mm Makro Planar, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, Kenko Pro 300 DG 1.4x TC, Canon 2X III TC, 580EX II x2, YN560, RF603's My Smugmug \| Flickr

21st of November 2008 (Fri)	#4
hobbes2112 Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas, USA Posts: 247 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? I saw Northern Lights onetime in very rural eastern Ohio. So it is possible down that low, but you'd have to go way out of town to do it.

21st of November 2008 (Fri)	#5
EricL Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 692 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? That is more "Northern Lights" than I have seen!! Neat shot! __________________ EricL farwhitenorth.com My Gear

21st of November 2008 (Fri)	#6
Tumbl3w33ds Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: S 4.815 E 162.342 Posts: 400 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? I am jealous Great shots! __________________ Deb Canon 40D \| Canon 30D Canon EF-S 10-22 \| Canon EF 24-105 4L IS \| Canon EF 50 1.4 Canon Speedlite 580EX II \| Manfrotto tripod Celestron 6" EQ Scope \| Nikor 12Xx40/55 Binoculars \| Nikon Coolpix S4 Zenfolio stuff

21st of November 2008 (Fri)	#7
Celestron Cream of the Crop Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: West Texas Posts: 6,312	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? Well even tho they are NOT Northern lights they are still light pillars . I saw the same ones also at spaceweather.com today and they are still an astronomical event cause it deals with the atmospheric conditions . Nice shots ! __________________ Ron "Still Learning" Flickr http://home.grandecom.net/~r.hodges/

23rd of November 2008 (Sun)	#9
markjpcs Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 275 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? Very cool!

24th of November 2008 (Mon)	#12
TekHouse Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Earth Posts: 1,184 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? Great shots!

29th of November 2008 (Sat)	#13
dawei213 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 377	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? Duh! Forgot about this thread... =P Yeah, it's definitely not the Northern light as that would be much higher in the atmosphere. They are light pillars as Celestron has pointed out. It was pretty cool to see all those pillars in the sky. It was like a scene out of a Superman movie back at Krypton. __________________ 7D \| 17-55 \| 24-105 f4L IS \| Sigma 70-200 f2.8 APO EX DG HSM OS \| 580EX II \| 7MDH \| An extremely light wallet now...

1st of December 2008 (Mon)	#14
Jethro790 Goldmember Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Southern New Hampshire Posts: 2,189 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? I have seen Northern Lights out my backdoor in Southern NH, about two years ago. Never knew about light pillars, very cool!

1st of December 2008 (Mon)	#15
black_z Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,200	Re: Northern Lights in Philly? Awesome, whatever it is! __________________ Canon 30D Canon 50/1.8 100/2.8 Photos

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