Aurora Borealis, Juneau, Alaska…Image # 2896

The last two winters in Juneau have been very good for shooting the northern lights. Scientists tell us that there is some sort of 13 to 15 year cycle that controls the activity of the aurora borealis and that we are now on the downward swing of this cycle. For this image I pulled into the North Douglas boat ramp to find the parking lot full with cars, and a whole family lying in sleeping bags on lawn chairs watching the aurora. I arrived just as the setting moon (left-hand side) disappeared over the horizon while the northern lights flashed over the airport and the mountains of Coast Range. This photo illustrates the month of April and is the cover of my 2015 Juneau Alaska Calendar. Thank you for visiting. Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 24-120 f/4, Digital Capture…Base exposure depending on relative strength of the lights…ISO 400 to 800/ f/4 at 20 to 30 seconds (starting point) – Copyright Mark Kelley