Northern Lights, Juneau, Alaska – Image # 2899

I took this image of the northern lights the same night that I shot the cover of my 2015 Juneau Calendar. Many folks ask how I know when to shoot the northern lights. I wait for the next clear night and then check out several websites that make predictions on the relative strength of the aurora in Juneau. The site of the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute is a good one. Their rating system goes from zero (low/no chance) to nine (explosive light). I have never seen anything above a five for Juneau. Anytime the numbers reach a three or a four I know it is going to be a long and sleepless night. I also check one other parameter. The U of A site also projects the predicted aurora oval onto a map of the northern hemisphere. If the oval touches anywhere near Juneau it is definitely time to spend the night under the stars. This photo illustrates the month of January in my 2015 Southeast Alaska Calendar. I also chose to use the image as the closing image in my new kid’s photo book, Once Upon Alaska. 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