Magic Friday – Aurora Borealis puts on a beautiful display over Kent

Friday 10th May 2024 was the day that Kent experienced the results of a huge Coronal Mass Ejection 2 days prior. A clear and calm night with very few clouds meant that not only were the Northern Lights going to be visible in Kent, but we’d be able to see them too.

One of the requirements for drone flying is a safe and stable GPS signal however these eletromagnetic events result in a very high KP Index which means that satellite communications can be affected. Flying a drone at night with no GPS would take us beyond the scope of our Risk Assessment so these were shot on our Sony A7IV on a tripod and to be honest, the longer exposure that can be obtained from a stationary camera did result in more detail and colour being captured.

Most shots are 15 second exposures, F2.8 @ 18mm and ISO 400. Even with a low ISO, they are also run through denoising software to ensure no digital noise in the blacks.

Click on any image to enlarge.