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Fabulous February Aurora


Pictures are at the bottom...

We've been having a week of perfectly clear days, temps hovering around zero. Pretty much perfect aurora weather. There was some faint ones around town on monday night, but nothing really spectacular. I hatched a plan to go and climb esja in the dark on tuesday night after school and sit around up there watching them.

Pretty silly plan really. It would be icy, long, and generally downright cold and miserable. No-one else wanted to come anyway. I decided to just drive to Perlan and sit there with a book, hoping for some strong aurora so I could get pictures with a reykjavik silhouette skyline.

But I'd got all my warm clothes and camera gear in the car anyway, so I made some crazy driving manouevers leaving school, and headed east.

Yet another late decision saw me turning onto the Þingvellirvatn road, rather than heading to Esja. The aurora, which I'd noticed faintly leaving school, was big and bold and showing no signs of abating. While I was parked sightseeing the Northern Lights tourbus drove past. Guess I'm in the right spot. :)

I sort of had vague ideas of finding some nice background objects to include with the aurora at Þingvellirvatn, but as I drew closer it started to get cloudy. Turned back and found a nice side road. Took a bunch of pictures. Started heading towards Hvalfjörður, and nearly drove into the ditch when I noticed the aurora being reflected off a frozen pond.

Unfortunately, I am still having a hard time focussing in the dark for pictures that include stars. A couple of pics at the very end have superb focus, but unfortunately most of the rest are off a bit.

Still. Aurora are fabulously goodlooking. At one point I almost felt I could reach out and touch them, they felt that close.


Out on the land

Out on the land

City glow on the left

City glow on the left

Reflections 1

Reflections 1

Purple streams

Purple streams

Reflections 2

Reflections 2

The R town, the O man, and the N lights

The R town, the O man, and the N lights

Mighty Micra Touring

Mighty Micra Touring