Aurora Induction

Driving home from class tonight, the steep dive into our valley gave me a nice open view of the sky. Looking up, I saw that in addition to a bright half-moon there was a crazy ribbon of Northern Lights whipping over Goldstream Valley. Since I got a Tripod for Christmas from my parents (thanks!) I have been keeping an eye out for them, but we have either had lots of cloud cover or great clear starry nights without the added benefit of solar flares. As soon as I got home, I ran inside and grabbed my tripod and camera. Setting up on the road, I started experimenting. It took quite a while, but eventually I figured out the settings I needed. (Without the instant feedback of digital cameras, I would have only gotten loads of black frames and had to wait for weeks before another show.) I was in such a hurry that I didn't bother to put on long-johns or find my good glove liners, so the mission was aborted due to leaden fingers after about half an hour. It is cold tonight! So here they are: my first attempts at photographing the Aurora. If the sun and the weather cooperate, this is only the beginning. Enjoy!