Aurora season, no 14

We were very lucky to have clear skies the other night, which coincided with some strong solar activity!   It seems like a long time since we had a good display. The arc was very strong and I could see the pillars dancing like net curtains against the dark sky though I couldn't see the colours.  So, so many stars and a bright Milky Way.  Just magical. 

This aurora was the 14th I have recorded since late August when the new aurora season began, and by far the strongest. Some nights a faint colour is recorded on camera but nothing visible to the naked eye. 

When I first started looking for the Northern lights we were at the peak of the 12 year solar cycle, so there was lots of activity and one or two exceptional displays.  For example this one in October 2013, which was very memorable or another in October 2015. The last couple of winters have been fairly quiet.  

This last image is 5 files stitched together to make a panorama.