We just experienced a pretty colorful celestial event
I heard about the Solar Flares that had happened Thursday and warned my friends about them to make sure they had their electronics charged up, because I was pretty sure there was going to be at the very least, brief power outages scattered about the area. The last time we had Solar Storms this strong they caused some issues with the Power Grid. Boy, was I wrong. They caused something alot more interesting.
I almost missed it all…..
I was keeping an eye on the weather, here in Connecticut it was cloudy pretty much all day, and then around 7 or 8, it had started raining, at least it looked like it was when I looked out the window, so I didnt think the weather was going to co operate. So I started playing around on the computer and not paying attention to what was going on outside, then about 11pm or so, I saw some one here in Connecticut post a couple of pictures on facebook and went “OH SHIT” grabbed everything and ran for the door. I ran to the best place I know of that is dark enough with an interesting foreground, Saville Dam in Barkhamsted. One of my favorite places to go and do this.
This is the perfect night to try the Astrophotography mode on My Samsung S24 Ultra. So when you open the camera and look at that screen you will the word “MORE” touch that and it will take you to another screen with a bunch more options to try….
right there at the top left is Expert Raw and that is what you tap on to get to where the Astrophotography mode is in the camera. I had to download this when I clicked on it so dont be surprised if you have to also. If your going to play with this mode I definitely recommend getting a tripod and using that to keep your phone still. Just like using your regular camera, long exposures are prone to fuzzy pictures from shakey hands.
I haven’t tried the Night Mode yet. I will soon tho. My next attempt with the Astro mode is going to be the Milky Way. If the weather co operates. It did Friday night for the most part.
Not only did I have the S24 Ultra out and set up on a tripod, I also was using my Olympus OMD E-M1 Mk ll with a 8MM Fisheye 1.7 PRO lens but I know how well that does with Astro, I have done some Milky Way shooting with it in the past.
I should have taken a few pics of this set up on the tripod but I didnt….. Next time.
This is the screen you will see next. You tap the stars on the left side it brings you to this screen. It is alot like using Google Sky Map, you can hold it up to the sky and tap show and it will show what your looking at. You also set the exposure time here. I am not sure how long the exposure times are, but I will look into it.
Now that I have done all of this it is time to play. At Saville Dam there is a sidewalk and a nice stonework wall. Like the other photographers that were there, and there were a bunch of them. Even a couple of different guys with Drones. You should have heard the photographers when they would fly low to the water LOL Photographers can be mean and nasty when someone starts screwing up their shots. I know I can get snippy when bothered while shooting lol.
Samsung S24 Ultra in Expert Raw using the Astrophoto Mode
For being the first time using the S24 Ultra like this, I dont think I did to bad. While I was doing this, my E-M1 Mk ll was doing Live Comp to get some shots. I was getting a bit more “Artistic?’ well, I was playing with my settings alot more with that, changing ISO and Shutter Speed and even fstop. By the time I got here and set up, the clouds had started making their come back and also the fog was starting to roll in. I didnt stay to much longer, of course the Connecticut State Trooper who came by a little after 2:20am ushering out the photographers who were still there helped a bit with that decision.
No thats not a UFO (or as they are known these days…. UAP) I decided to try something just a bit artistic. I was hoping to catch some light trails from passing cars with the Northern Lights in the sky behind them.
What I saw when I got home was amazing……
It is a 30 minute drive or so to get to where I was and in a darker sky then the light pollution filled sky that I live in. It was almost 3:30am when I got home and I couldnt believe my eyes when I saw the green and purple cast to the sky behind the house I live in.
I dont think My 17 year old son was all that happy I woke him up to see the Aurora Borealis, but I had to. Living in Connecticut it is not something we see very often at all, much less then what we were experiencing this night.
Looking out towards the North in our backyard, you get a great view of our local Fire Department building and all there lit up glory.I really wasnt expecting to be able to see it, much less a couple of great pics. I think better then some of the pics at the Dam. This was at about 4 in the morning, I shouldve seen what I couldve gotten with the sun coming up lol
This is a shot looking West on our back porch, I had to get a picture of the purples and pinks. I am really am impressed with the pictures I got with the S24 Ultra and cant wait to try something different and new with it soon.
I am going to add a gallery below of some of the shots I got with My Olympus OMD E-M1 Mkll. I got some good ones, but really wanted to show off how well this cell phone did Friday night.
I am going to add a few links to some of the websites I have used to watch for and plan for the Northern Lights and other attempts I have made at Astrophotography
ok and here we go with some promised websites to look into and maybe a favorite Youtube channel or blog also.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations
Space Weather Prediction Center
Soft Serve News
The Aurora Borealis Forecast Page
Damon Scotting is a science teacher with a degree in Physics with astrophysics and cosmology and a great Youtube Channel called Astronomical.
Brent Hall is a photographer based in New Mexico who does alot of Astrophotography and alot of cell phone stuff. I highly recommend!
I dont really have any blogs that I am following at the moment for Astrophotography but I will update when I do, or if you have suggestions for one, feel free to let know about it!! I am getting a thermos of coffee ready, the skies might be mostly clear in a bit and there is once again a small chance…. That Sun has been pretty active lol
