These drop-down menus link to the top auroras of each year. For 2012 through 2018, click on the year to see a calendar linking to all events for that year.

September 22, 2014 Auroras

Itasca County, MN

After shooting a sunset time lapse, I noticed the magnetic field data was showing a southward Bz, so I stopped a couple places on my way home to check for auroras. Indeed, they were present. I pulled off Highway 65 (well, more like I stopped in the middle of the road).

Nice Auroras
Highway 65, in the George Washington State Forest. The haze of an oncoming car's headlights illunimates the horizon above the road. Auroras are the green glow and the faint structure to the left.

I didnt notice the very faint auroras, but there was a little bit of a visible glow. I continued a few more miles, stopped, and looked back again. This time, the auroras were obvious. Out came the camera and tripod, once again in the middle of the road, but cars were approaching, so I repositioned and took pictures from a side road that I found.

Nice Auroras
Highway 65, closer to Nashwauk. A small substorm is in progress (nice power lines, too).

Time to find a real shooting location. I continued home and pulled over at Snowball Lake southwest of Nashwauk.

Nice Auroras
Snowball Lake on U.S. 169 southwest of Nashwauk.

One more stop at Prairie Lake to monitor things for a little bit, and I went home.

Nice Auroras
Lower Prairie Lake north of Grand Rapids.

Back to Auroras | Home