Archive - Picket Fence Aurora
February 19, 2022
Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives.
This EPOD was originally published October 13, 2017.
Photographer: Debra Ceravolo
Summary Authors: Debra Ceravolo; Jim Foster
Shown above is a picket fence aurora as observed from near Anarchist Mountain in British Columbia, Canada. The camera is facing north. This type of an aurora, recently referred to as STEVE, shows up below the primary auroral band, 10 to 20 degrees equatorward, extending in a relatively narrow arc for hundreds of miles in an east to west direction. Picket fence auroras can be very localized as photos of the same aurora taken the same night but shot from more northerly latitudes, show it in the opposite direction in the sky. They tend to be quite faint, typically requiring exposures of 10 seconds or longer to bring out their green and red/purple colors. Click here to see a video of this aurora. Photo taken on September 15, 2017, at 10:05 p.m.
Photo Details: Camera Model: Canon EOS 6D; Lens: 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 015; Focal Length: 20mm; Aperture: ƒ/1.4; Exposure Time: 30.000 s; ISO equiv: 800; Software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 (Windows).