"Chena Aurora 12 (with setting Saturn and Pleiades)"

Fairbanks, Alaska March 21, 2004
Kodak Portra Professional Film
ISO 800 color negative film -- normal development
Pentax Spotmatic camera with fisheye 17mm lens at f/4 / ~60 second exposure

 

On the evening of Sunday, March 21, 2004 we again signed up for the Aurora snow coach experience and arrived at Charley Dome and the yurt at about 10:30 P.M. It was a quiet Aurora evening (for Chena and Alaska) but warm -- perhaps plus 15 degrees F. We leisurely took some photos, laid back on the snow (very comfortable) and simply enjoyed the moderate display. We both felt this was a wonderful conclusion for our very fortunate Alaskan Aurora experience. I have chosen to label these photos as taken on 3/21/04 --and have also chosen to use this nomenclature throughout the presentation -- when in reality many shots were taken at midnight or slightly after. In general we found the Aurora to be most active between 10 P.M. and 2 A. M. local Alaskan time.

(Additional photos from the March 21st Aurora experience can be accessed by using this text link to a supplemental gallery.)

The 2004 Aurora Borealis astrophotography is available via telephone ordering as noted below.