Living in Canada, I am subject to many beautiful sights every single day of my life. Living in central Alberta and having the great opportunity to head North, I see some pretty amazing sights at night. I am lucky though to be able to witness the Aurora Borealis on a frequent occasion. Here in Alberta though we do not see anything like what Iceland gets to witness or Northern Canada like the Yukon, Nunavut, and the North West Territories get to witness. Heck what Alaska even gets to witness. The colours that dance in the Northern sky as the Northern Lights make they appearance in those locations, I hear is absolutely breathtaking. One thing I do have though is an application that alerts me to Aurora activity and the great possibility of seeing them. I will share my most favorite one at the end of this post but you can bet I will share other favorites of Aurora and Steve throughout. I hope you enjoy this little story.

Now here in Alberta we normally see the colour GREEN for the Aurora Borealis but the occasional times we do get to see S.T.E.V.E. with Miss Aurora. S.T.E.V.E. is short for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement and can appear as the colour purple with the green ribbon of the Auroras. The STEVE phenomenon has been observed by auroral photographers for decades.Some evidence suggests that STEVE observations may have been recorded as early as 1705. Notations resembling the phenomenon exist in some observations from 1911 to the 1950s by Carl Størmer. The first accurate determination of the nature of the phenomenon was not made, however, until after members of a Facebook group, Alberta Aurora Chasers, named it, attributed it to a proton aurora, and began calling it a "proton arc".

When physics professor Eric Donovan from the University of Calgary saw their photographs and suspected that their determination was incorrect because proton auroras are not visible, he correlated the time and location of the phenomenon with Swarm satellite data and one of the Alberta Aurora Chaser photographers, Song Despins. She provided GPS coordinates from Vimy, Alberta, that helped Donovan link the data to identify the phenomenon.

During the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in December 2016, Robert Lysak suggested using a backronym of "Steve" for the phenomenon that would stand for a "Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement". That acronym, "STEVE", has been adopted by the team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center that is studying the phenomenon.

If you didn’t know now you know! Interesting right? Now that was some fun facts about Steve but do you want to hear some amazing facts about Aurora herself? Sure you do otherwise you wouldn’t have stayed this far.

Title: Watching Them Dance Into The Night

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a breathtaking natural phenomenon that lights up the Alberta sky with shimmering waves of green, pink, and violet. Occurring primarily in the winter months, this enchanting display is caused by the interaction of solar particles with the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a magical dance of colours that captivates onlookers. Photographers and nature enthusiasts flock to the northern regions to witness this spectacular light show, where clear, dark skies offer the perfect backdrop for capturing the ethereal beauty of the auroras. Experiencing the Aurora Borealis is not only a feast for the eyes but also a reminder of the incredible wonders of our planet.

The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, is a magnificent natural light display predominantly seen in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic. This captivating phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with various gases present in the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a breathtaking array of vibrant colors, primarily including stunning greens, soft pinks, and deep purples. The best time to experience the beauty of the Aurora Borealis is typically during the winter months, when nights are at their longest, and the skies are exceptionally clear, providing perfect conditions for viewing. In Canada, and especially in Alberta, locations like Jasper National Park are renowned for their astonishing displays of this enchanting light show. Interestingly, the auroras not only create these breathtaking visuals that light up the night sky; they can also produce low-frequency sounds that may accompany the lights, though puzzlingly, these sounds are rarely heard by observers who are enthralled by the spectacle above them.

The Northern Lights holds profound significance for Indigenous Peoples across Canada. For many, these shimmering lights are not only a breathtaking natural phenomenon but also a source of cultural identity and spiritual connection. Various Indigenous groups interpret the aurora in unique ways, seeing them as the spirits of ancestors dancing in the night sky or as celestial beings guiding their people. Stories and teachings related to the Northern Lights have been passed down through generations, serving as a reminder of the intertwined relationship between nature and spirituality. Observing the Aurora Borealis allows for reflection on these rich traditions and the enduring legacy of Indigenous storytelling and connection to the land.

Capturing the mesmerizing Northern Lights can be an incredibly enchanting experience, but it does require some thoughtful preparation to ensure success. Firstly, it's crucial to use a sturdy tripod to ensure stability during those longer exposure times, preventing any unwanted blur in your images. Set your camera to a high ISO (around 1600-3200) and consider using a wide aperture (f/2.8 or lower) to allow as much light in as possible to really bring the scene to life. A shutter speed of 5-20 seconds can work wonders in revealing those vibrant colours, so don’t hesitate to experiment with different exposure times to find what works best for the unique conditions of the night. Additionally, make sure to focus on the horizon or a distant light source, as autofocus may struggle in such low-light scenarios. Remember to dress warmly and be patient; the Northern Lights can be quite unpredictable, yet with a little perseverance, the reward of capturing their breathtaking beauty is genuinely well worth any effort you put in.

Now my story on how I captured the magic of the Aurora Borealis. I have an Aurora Watch app that is fairly accurate and I have learned greatly on how to read the index, the Aurora weather report, and determining the chances. Now here in Alberta it is rarer to see such strong activity in the early night. When I mean early, I mean before 10PM MST. Normally to see such strong Auroras, such vibrant colours, and to see such strong movement, you have to wake up at 2 or 3AM in the morning. Now I was not going to do that all though one winter I may just do that for the peace, the magic, and witness her beauty in her full glory. Now I was at home playing Red Dead Redemption 2 because I had a really long day and I just wanted to relax and let my mind escape elsewhere for awhile. I got the alert on my phone and normally the alert says there is a chance to see Northern Lights in the next hour. I normally ignore those alerts because the last few times I went out with that notification, the Aurora was weak and looked like a light green blur in the sky. She wasn’t very active in those most times. However this alert was different and it got me eagerly going back and forth if I should head out or not. I did because I didn’t want to take the high chance that I would miss something spectacular.

Now when I say this alert was different, it didn’t say there is a chance in the next hour. Oh no, this alert and word for word, said, “The KP Index is becoming very high and active. You should see Aurora’s in your location at around 8:54PM your time. Keep your eye to the sky for high Aurora activity.” This was a chance, a good chance. Hell it was a chance of seeing S.T.E.V.E. and I couldn’t risk not going out. Tripod and camera in my hand ready to go, dog in in tow, we were headed out. Now before I continue, it is important if your camera is not in a bag that to keep it safe, that you at least have a lens cap or filter on it to protect it. I say this because as I was headed to my car, my lovely dog who I dearly love very much, wrapped her leash around my legs causing me to wipe out on the pavement with my camera in my hand. Camera hit the ground but I think I absorbed the impact mostly as it was intact and not damaged. Just my pride as my neighbours saw it all happen. Anyways it didn’t deter me from going on. Winnie hops into the passenger seat, me in the driver seat and we were off to go pick up my mum who was coming along. We get to this location that we know about that is easy to manually focus on, take a few test shots and we waited. We waited and waited and about an hour goes by and nothing was happening. The Full Moon behind us, brightly lighting up the northern sky and as we were beginning to lose hope, I looked up and there she was. Miss Aurora herself making her appearance and in all her glory dancing above us. She was so strong you could see the pillars and detail with your naked eye as she moved towards the north, dancing with such grace. You could feel the spiritual connection, the life, the sound she would have made as she danced well into the night. I say well into the night cause I got 4 to 6 more notifications throughout the night until 6AM the next morning about her great activity. I am glad I went out, that I waited patiently, and got a chance to get these photos. Now the photo I am about to show you is taken in portrait style and I would not change it for the world. It just shows how greatly active she was and truly speaks to the wide open sky, the big prairies of the west, and how spiritual the connection is in every way. So I hope you enjoyed this story and I hope you enjoy my photos. You can view the rest in Gallery under the Landscapes album.

Thank you and enjoy!

Capturing Aurora And S.T.E.V.E.

Happy New Year

Captured By Curiosity