On May 8th 2024 in preparation for International Astronomy Day in Victoria I thought I would check out the Sun for any sunspot activity. Being busy I had heard there was definitely activity but I was surprised to see how large AR3664 was. By Friday the media had publicized high likelihood of aurora even in Victoria. In fact the auroral ovals were to descend well past the USA border. Not to disappoint aurora became the big news in many areas of the world.

Like many of us in Victoria we have enjoyed aurora at our latitude from time to time but usually the visibility had to be aided by photography. For me this was the first time aurora has been an unaided eye event. After imaging at the gates of the DAO I returned to my light polluted suburb and discovered I could still witness this amazing event although at a subdued level.

Solar Image:
Taken afocally through a Baader 8-24 Zoom eyepiece at 24mm and a Televue Pronto refractor using an Iphone 14. Solar filter Thousand Oaks Glass Type 2+.

Aurora Image:
Camera: Nikon Z6II
Lens: Nikon Z 24-70/4 at 26mm
Sensor ISO: 400
Exposure: 15 seconds at f/5.6
Processing: Adobe Photoshop CC 2024