Midnight Sun

Yesterday, the midnight sun period started here in Tromsø and now the Sun won't set until 22 July - more than two months.

While it is far too bright now for any auroras to be seen, and will remain so until the end of August when the skies are getting darker again, the solar surface is far from dull and right now, lots of sunspots cover the solar disc - some of them giving rise to strong solar flares that may effect our technology here on Earth.

The photo below is taken with a DSLR and a Solar Filter fitted on the lens. Never aim your camera or any optical equipment towards the Sun without proper solar filters!

From now on, the Northern Lights Photography blog takes summer and will focus on wildlife/bird/landscape photography from Northern Norway

The 4th International Earth & Sky Photo Contest (TWAN)

Yesterday, the results of The 4th International Earth & Sky Photo Contest by TWAN (The World at Night) was announced, and with over 710 entries from 45 different countries, I am very honored to be awarded 4th place in the contest with my photo "Solar Storm".

I wish to congratulate the overall contest winner Stephane Vetter (France) for his wonderful panoramic photo “Sky Above Godafoss” in Iceland and all the other winners and photographers. All winning images and a wide range of photos selected as "Notable" can be seen in the video on Vimeo or on National Geographic News which showcases many stunning astrophotos from the contest.

 

"Solar Storm"

 

Here in Northern Norway, the midnight-sun period starts in less than a week (20 May), making night-sky photography impossible until next autumn, so now over the summer my blog will focus on wildlife and landscape photography, but seeing so many creative night-sky images from all corners of the world makes me wish the polar darkness was already on its way back again!

 

 

View over the Atlantic Ocean from Northern Norway 1,5 hours before midnight

Photo taken on 11 May 2013, with only nine days left to the midnight-sun period

 

About TWAN: TWAN is "an international effort to present stunning nightscape photos and time-lapse videos of the world’s landmarks against celestial attractions". David Malin, a prominent member of the judging panel and a world-known pioneer in scientific astrophotography describes this year’s contest as "The 685 entries the judges examined represent some of the best TWAN-style photographs ever gathered together in one place. Judging them was a significant challenge, considering the high standard and variety of the entries. Given the number of judges and their individual tastes and preferences and their different ways of working, there was a surprising small spread in the final selections. The winners are to be congratulated on being outstanding in a very competitive field, and the entrants commended for presenting us with such a wonderful variety of inspiring images".