Aurora Borealis alert: evening of October 30, 2021

BF Hammer

BF Hammer

Senior Member
Nothing is a guarantee when it comes to aurora in the lower latitudes, but the conditions are considered to be likely on Saturday night.

A solar coronal mass ejection happened on the sun a few days ago, and it was aimed directly at Earth. They measure the conditions that create aurora in an index scale called "KP" and it is forecast to be a 7. The scale goes up to 9. This is higher than I have seen it for a very long time.

NorthAmerica_7.png
https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast

I have a pre-planned photo-shoot location that has a dark northern sky view. I just wish it was at water to allow reflection. Hope for clear skies for everybody.
 
Dangerspouse

Dangerspouse

Senior Member
hark said:
I will be getting rain here between 7pm to 1am. At least we had a break from the Nor'easter's rain this afternoon.
Click to expand...

It sure has been soggy around here lately, hasn't it? Are you still getting mosquitoes out by you, Cindy? It's brutal here - and I don't think I've ever seen them around here this late in the year.
 
hark

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Dangerspouse said:
It sure has been soggy around here lately, hasn't it? Are you still getting mosquitoes out by you, Cindy? It's brutal here - and I don't think I've ever seen them around here this late in the year.
Click to expand...

Yes, there are still mosquitoes here. Usually our township sprays this residential section, but for whatever reason, it wasn't done this year. I wish the rain had come in a few weeks ago. It's the amount of rain that determines the intensity of fall colors. The colors are okay but not as vibrant as they've been some years.
 
BF Hammer

BF Hammer

Senior Member
Southern Wisconsin had clear skies, I was out until some mist started. Nothing to see except a few spectacular meteors. One was nearly a fireball, but it was in-between exposures of my camera. But no green glowy stuff.

I did have a backup plan. I've been burned by these forecasts before. Had a 2nd camera, telephoto lens ready, and my tracking mount. Heart and Soul nebulas were the plan. But in the middle of doing a 2-star calibration of my tracking mount my D7000 battery ran out of power while I was tethered to my notebook PC and in LiveView to see the star I was trying to center in frame. After changing battery, it was stuck in "ERR" and of course in the dark nothing is an obvious fix. It was after I got home that I pushed the shutter release button and the shutter then closed and camera worked again. I really need to remember that for the next time.
 
Last edited:
N

nickt

Senior Member
Dangerspouse said:
It sure has been soggy around here lately, hasn't it? Are you still getting mosquitoes out by you, Cindy? It's brutal here - and I don't think I've ever seen them around here this late in the year.
Click to expand...
Terrible in NY but getting back to normal. We live on a lake so I'm used to our 'regulars'. Mid to late summer we got crazy with what I think are Asian Tiger mosquitoes. They have been around for a few years now but not like this year. Smaller, aggressive, and they feed in the daylight too. If you see them, you probably already got bit. I could not be outside for more than 2 minutes before these things would attack. I found this a few years ago in search of a repellent that was camera-safe. Popular DEET formulas ruin everything hey touch. I've messed up so many plastic things and fishing equipment over the years using deet based repellents. This stuff is great. Maybe not the best choice for a night in the jungle but this won't ruin your camera and it does not have an offensive smell. I used a few drops everyday for the past couple months. I heard OFF now has a Picaridin based product but I have not tried it. You can get this at Amazon or the big sporting goods stores. (Cabelas, BassPro, Rei, etc)

pic.jpg
 
Dangerspouse

Dangerspouse

Senior Member
nickt said:
Terrible in NY but getting back to normal. We live on a lake so I'm used to our 'regulars'. Mid to late summer we got crazy with what I think are Asian Tiger mosquitoes. They have been around for a few years now but not like this year. Smaller, aggressive, and they feed in the daylight too. If you see them, you probably already got bit. I could not be outside for more than 2 minutes before these things would attack. I found this a few years ago in search of a repellent that was camera-safe. Popular DEET formulas ruin everything hey touch. I've messed up so many plastic things and fishing equipment over the years using deet based repellents. This stuff is great. Maybe not the best choice for a night in the jungle but this won't ruin your camera and it does not have an offensive smell. I used a few drops everyday for the past couple months. I heard OFF now has a Picaridin based product but I have not tried it. You can get this at Amazon or the big sporting goods stores. (Cabelas, BassPro, Rei, etc)
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks very much for this! Yeah, I avoid DEET based products when I'm out shooting also, having read so many horror stories about lenses being ruined. If this stuff works on skeeters but doesn't eat plastic, it'll be a godsend. I appreciate it. I'm down just outside of Warwick (on the Jersey side) so I imagine I'm seeing the same species of bug(s) as you.
 
N

nickt

Senior Member
Dangerspouse said:
Hey, thanks very much for this! Yeah, I avoid DEET based products when I'm out shooting also, having read so many horror stories about lenses being ruined. If this stuff works on skeeters but doesn't eat plastic, it'll be a godsend. I appreciate it. I'm down just outside of Warwick (on the Jersey side) so I imagine I'm seeing the same species of bug(s) as you.
Click to expand...
You'll like it. It comes in a spray but I like the lotion. I can better control how little I use, I've had this 4oz bottle for 3 years.
 
Top