David's Astronomy Pages (All Sky Camera) Aurora on night 2025-01-04 / 2025-01-05

Aurora 2025-01-01

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Aurora 2025-01-10

Aurora

Notes

Night Summary (Keogram) Plot AllSky Pictures Videos Magnetometer Stack Plots (for reference) Planetary K-Index Plot (for reference) Aurora Forecast, NOAA/Ovation (for reference)

- Auroral activity on the night 2025-01-04 / 2025-01-05 associated with geomagnetic activity up to KP4/KP5 due to a CME striking the earth's magnetic field. Skies in NE Scotland were initially clear but gradually clouded.    Activity was visible from the Clair Observatory (+57N) from  2025-01-04 17:05 to 2025-01-05 01:30 UT a total period of 8.5 hours but largely hidden by cloud after 21:15 UT.   Peak activity was at 18:30 to 18:45, with further peak at  period from 19:50 to 20:10 UT. Observed activity comprised initial auroral arc following by rapidly moving curtains and rays up to 45-50° altitude.  Cloud development gradually limited the view of the aurora display after around 20:00, but activity was still detectable until 01:30. The aurora display was recorded using the Observatory's new Tapo C325WB Colour Night Vision Camera, with images processed in real time by a new AstroColorCam program built for handing the frames captured by iSpy. Images and video below compare colour images captured by the new Camera, with the black/white images captured using the existing AllSky Camera at approximately the same time.   -  Scandinavia magnetometers recorded activity at 16:30 to 01:30 UT, with peak activity at around 18:30 - 19:00 and 20:00 - 20:15 UT     - Telescope Images from 2025-01-04 >>

Night Summary (Keogram) Plot

Night Summary Plot - North Sky (2025-01-04) Times on plot are local times (GMT  = UTC +00h ) Aurora noticeable on keogram from 17:10 to 01:30 UT (but largely hidden by cloud from 21:15 to 01:30 UT)

Night Summary Plot - North Sky (2025-01-04) Times on plot are local times (GMT  = UTC +00h ) Aurora not obvious on b/w keogram due of the cloudy intervals

Scandinavia Magnetometers vs NorthCam Keogram - 2025-01-04

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Pictures (AllSky Camera)

Panoramic View - Northern Sky

2025-01-04 17:12 UT (GMT) Auroral arc gradually becoming visible in twilight sky  (Sun Alt -11.2°)

2025-01-04 17:20 UT (GMT) Auroral arc to 10-11° altitude.   Twilight sky to west. Auroral arc becoming increasingly prominent as sky darkens in the north (Sun Alt -12.2°) Artifact on AllSky Camera in NNW direction is due to neighbours light  (bottom picture)

2025-01-04 17:56 UT (GMT) Auroral arc to 11° altitude. Curtains developing Artifact on AllSky Camera in NNW direction is due to neighbours light (bottom picture)

2025-01-04 18:12 UT (GMT) Gradually increasing auroral activity,  fast moving curtains. Faint red glow developing in NNW direction

2025-01-04 18:32 UT (GMT) Increase in auroral activity, Brightening in N direction

2025-01-04 18:35 UT (GMT) Development of red rays in NE-NNE direction

2025-01-04 18:35 UT (GMT) Development of red rays in NE-NNE direction

2025-01-01 18:39 UT (GMT) Peak activity. Rays to 45-50° altitude Artifact on AllSky Camera in NNW direction is due to neighbours light (bottom picture)

2025-01-04 18:45 UT (GMT) Discontinuous green aurora, Red rays fading in N / NNE. Rays still very prominent in WNW-NW direction. Faint rays in NE direction Artifact on AllSky Camera in NNW direction is due to neighbours light (bottom picture)

2025-01-04 18:52 UT (GMT) Auroral arc reforming? , distinct rays in N & NNE direction to 35° altitude (artifacts on camera due to snow/water on bottom of lens)

2025-01-04 19:07 UT (GMT) Diffuse green aurora, wavy top. Cloud developing

2025-01-04 19:23 UT (GMT) Aurora arc with underlying bright green aurora activity.

2025-01-04 19:58 UT (GMT) Increased aurora activity (top of activity is largely hidden by cloud)

2025-01-04 20:04 UT (GMT) View of aurora increasing hidden by cloud, but brighter rays are still visible through cloud.

15s frames taken with Tapo C325WB Colour Camera vs 30s wider-field exposures taken with Oculus All Sky Camera

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 Videos

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Magnetometer Stack Plots (for reference)

Magnetometer Stack Plots from Scandinavia (ordered by latitude) H Component - 2025-01-04 / 2025-01-05 Activity shown from 16:30 to 01:30 UT, with peak activity at around 18:30 - 19:00 and 20:00 - 20:15 UT Note: Geomagnetometer activity at rvk (Rorvik, 64.95N), dob (Dombas, 62.07N), sol (Solund, 61.08N) and kar (Karmoy, 59.21N) stations are used as indicators for potential auroral activity that may be visible from my Observatory situated at latitude 57.32N  (Map of Stations)

Graphed using 'make your own graph' facilities at  https://flux.phys.uit.no/compose/   (Tromsø Geophysical Observatory  ) Original data from Tromsø Geophysical Observatory (TGO), DTU Space (Technical University of Denmark) and Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) Data also displayed on SpaceWeatherLive's Europe Stackplot at  http://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/auroral-activity/magnetometers).

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Planetary K-Index Plot (for reference)

Estimated 3 hour Planetary K-Index (NOAA)  (from http://services.swpc.noaa.gov) Planetary-k-index_2025-01-04 / 2025-01-05 Not captured

SAMNET's magnetometer at Sumburgh, Shetland  (Chart Explanation)  - Magnetometer activity on the night 2025-01-04 / 2025-01-05   showing generally high levels of activity between 14:00 and 19:00 UT, with very intense peak (>900 nT) between 17:00 & 18:00 UT

8-day Lerwick Observatory K Index Showing max K2 on the evening of 2025-01-04

Planetary K-Index and other information (Space Weather Prediction Centre) shows

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Aurora Forecast, NOAA/Ovation (for reference)

Aurora Forecast for 2025-01-04 18:36 UT (GMT) (From Space Weather Prediction Centre,  http://www.swpc.noaa.gov )

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