Morgan Sparks writes:
> I stepped out of the house Tuesday night, and was treated to one of the
> most spectacular displays of the Northern Lights I have ever seen up
> here. (Northern Vermont)
That's newsworthy. The sunspot cycle must really be picking up now.
> To the astrophotographers on this list, I ask: How is this phenomenon
> best recorded on film? Where does this type of light fall within the
> spectrum?
It has a very odd spectrum, but my first shot at it would probably be Elite
Chrome 200
(not Kodachrome 200 -- too much reciprocity failure), 5 to 30 seconds with
the 50-mm lens
wide open (f/1.8) on a fixed tripod. That technique will also record lots
of stars. Don't
expect realistic color no matter what you do -- aurorae emit a very peculiar
mix of
wavelengths.
Actually, the OM-2 and OM-4 could probably auto-expose an aurora (at f/1.8).
Something we can do that other brands of cameras don't support!
Michael A. Covington / AI Center / The University of Georgia
http://www.ai.uga.edu/~mc http://www.mindspring.com/~covington <><
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