Gorgeous Aurora Over Oregon
"It's not every day you see the aurora in Central Oregon," wrote photographer Brad Goldpaint to Wired regarding his incredible shot of heavenly phenomenon.
That is certainly true. Auroras are created when energetic particles flowing from the sun interact with the Earth's upper atmosphere, creating a cascading shower of light with brilliant green, blue, and purple hues. They can typically only be found over the most northern and southern extremes of our planet. Aurora are strongest after a solar energetic particle event, such as a flare, when the sun releases a huge burst of energy and ions. Such an event happened on July 12, 2012, when the sun produced an X-class flare -- the strongest type of flare. Goldpaint knew that this tremendous solar explosion was going to increase the chances of spotting auroras as far south as Central Oregon and he grabbed his camera.
On his website's blog, Goldpaint wrote about how he went out to "an area with very little light pollution, a clear view of the night sky facing north, and cross my fingers." Arriving just after sunset, his camera started picking up a faint, pink glow on the horizon. Soon, bursting auroras were coming over the distant mountains. Using long exposures, he was able to capture far more than the human eye can discern. "The magnitude of colors and lights were like I’ve never seen before," he wrote.
Goldpaint wrote: "By 2:30am, my efforts and dedication began paying off. The sky exploded!!! A large, thick band of light burst out of nowhere just behind South Sister and slowly drifted all the way to Broken Top and beyond. Immediately after words, the entire sky filled with thin bands of light. I could barely make them out with my own eyes, but my camera picked them up perfectly. The majority of light bands lasted until 3:30am, just as the sun began to rise."
"This was by far one of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve ever witnessed and feel this is why I’m so drawn to photography. However, for me, it’s not just about getting the shot, although it was a plus, it’s about escaping my comfort zone and challenging myself to experience something entirely new. I often hear about people who are scared of the dark and would never think about doing what I do. Would you believe me if I said I was afraid of the dark too? Every time I’m out there I get a good scare from a sound I don’t recognize. I believe it’s about conquering one’s fears and allowing your eyes to become your guide."
Image: Brad Goldpaint
Caption: Brad Goldpaint/Wired Science