Corona

The aurora borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights in the northern hemisphere, are the biggest draws for tourists in the winter here in Fairbanks. It’s understandable. Seeing the sky light up in a naturally produced “fireworks” show isn’t witnessed by much of the world. Even when I lived in Minnesota, I never saw the aurora take the forms we see almost nightly here. This photo is an example of a corona, a phenomenon that occurs when the aurora is directly overhead. You get diverging rays of light from a point above.

I haven’t spent much time photographing the aurora in the last few years. I’ll still go out and watch, but don’t habitually set up the cameras and tripods anymore. I’m not sure why. I used to almost every night in winter and spring. I used to love making time-lapses like the one below. My interest is peaking again. Of course, right in the middle of solar minimum. Last night was bust. I set up equipment, but the aurora never materialized. Hopefully, I’ll have some luck before the midnight sun takes over.

I took this featured photo during a three-day, two-night slog up the Granite Tors trail near Fairbanks. For two days, I waded through waist-deep sugar snow with absolutely no help from my snowshoes. Pulling a sled with 15 lbs. of extra camera equipment. It was so much fun; I can’t wait to do it again! And I have no clue if that statement was sarcasm or not. Check out the story below!

Aurora Time-lapse – Fairbanks, Alaska