Red Aurora

Day 364: It may not have been nearly as spectacular as that seen in other parts of the country (notably New York and New Hampshire, where my sisters-of-the-heart enjoyed a much more colourful and intense display), but I am happy to have seen the red aurora mounting over Elbe Hills last night around 8 PM. It seemed to last about half an hour from the time I began observing it before it began to fade. I checked again between midnight and 1 AM, and there was nothing. The camera captured more colour than I could see, but even with the naked eye, the rosy glow was evident. If the phenomenon persists into the night tonight, I suspect incoming clouds will prevent me from seeing it again.

Aurorae

Day 211: The camera registered colours my eyes could barely perceive, but even what was visually apparent was the most spectacular aurora borealis I've experienced in my entire lifetime. The entire sky was filled with curtains and streamers, east to west, north to south, green and red and white. They changed gradually, almost imperceptibly, fading from view in one minute, returning over the next five, sometimes blocking stars and sometimes studded with them. I'd been getting up every hour to check, but it was not until 1:15 AM that the show started. I could not pull myself away despite the nip in the early morning air, and spent almost an hour and a half observing the phenomenon. It was only when the last streamers had paled that I went inside and crawled under the electric blanket to take the chill out of my legs and hands. Worth losing sleep over? Absolutely! And if there's a second act tonight, I'll be out there.

Addendum: You get a bonus today. Sunspot AR3664 (the culprit) can be seen in the lower left quadrant.