A 360° panorama of the entire sky on a northern autumn night in November 2019. The Milky Way runs across the sky from east (left) to west (right), with south at bottom and due north at top. The Summer Triangle stars are setting in the west at right while Orion and the winter stars are rising in the east at left. Overhead at centre are the traditional autumn constellations of Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Perseus, Andromeda and Pegasus, among others. The Andromeda Galaxy is close to the zenith at centre. The Big Dipper is low on the northern horizon at top. Fomalhaut is the bright star between the trees low on the horizon in the southwest at right. The Pleiades and Taurus are left of centre. At top we are looking outward from the centre of the Galaxy, toward the edge of the Milky Way and toward the Perseus Arm, the next one out from ours. To the south at bottom are the faint “watery” constellations of Aquarius, Cetus, Pisces, and Eridanus. Bands of natural red airglow colour the sky, while horizon glows of blue and greenish white from LED urban lighting discolour the horizon. Snow covers the ground from a snowfall the day before. However, this is autumn! In Alberta! This is a stitch of 8 segments, each 30 seconds at f/3.2 with the Canon 15mm full-frame fish-eye lens on the Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 3200. The camera was turned in portrait orientation and moved in 45° increments to take the 8 segments. Stitching was with PTGui.
A 180° panorama of the Northern Lights exhibiting classic concentric ars across the north, with an isolated arc to the east at far right. It extended up across the sky overhead and had a faint arc to the west as well, not seen here. This shows how a typical aurora display is made of nested arcs created by incoming electrons raining down the magnetic field lines in concentric arcs. Often, an isolated arc far to the south of the main group forms, and often appears red, though can have normal green components as well, as here. Is this a “proton arc?” It would seem this is a normal electron-induced aurora but clearly with a slightly different origin in the source region for the electrons. The most northerly and distant curtains exhibit a slight tint of pink on the lower fringes, from nitrogen glowing. This was the night of September 2, 2016, from near home in southern Alberta. The Big Dipper is at upper left. The bright star reflected is Capella. Perseus and Andromeda are right of centre. This is a stitch of 10 segments, each 2-second exposures with the 20mm Sigma Art lens at f/1.6 and Nikon D750 at ISO 3200. Stitched with PTGui.
A 150° panorama of the Northern Lights forming a classic arc across the north, with curtains stretching up along magnetic field lines, from lower greens and yellows up to reds and magentas. Here the aurora is more quiescent with smooth arcs, centered on the direction of the north magnetic pole. This was the night of September 2, 2016, from near home in southern Alberta. The Big Dipper is at upper left. The bright star reflected is Capella. This is a stitch of 8 segments, each 3-second exposures with the 20mm Sigma Art lens at f/1.6 and Nikon D750 at ISO 3200. Stitched with PTGui.
