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Star Trails, Aurora, Volcano
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sun Apr 26 18:27:01 2009 UTC
The aurora borealis shows as a mottled green arc while the stars trail
during this 15-minute exposure taken from the beach at Deep Creek,
Alaska. The active volcano, Redoubt, can be seen in the distance
catching the early morning light and sporting a small steam plume in
this March 21, 2009 image taken just before dawn with a 6x9
medium-format camera and Fuji 800Z film. Copyright (c) Dennis C.
Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or
visit: www.auroradude.com
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Volcano and Aurora
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sat Apr 25 20:40:01 2009 UTC
On the early morning of March 21, 2009, Redoubt Volcano (bottom left)
was just starting to wake up from its 20-year slumber when I took this
shot of the aurora borealis putting on its own little show. The view is
looking northwest from Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. I used Fuji Z800 film
in a 6x9 cm. medium- format camera with a 98mm f1.4 lens for this
8-second exposure.
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at:
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Volcanic Sunset April 20, 2009
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Thu Apr 23 20:05:01 2009 UTC
A sulphur-rich gas plume is seen drifting southward from Redoubt Volcano
during its current phase of activity as seen from near Homer, Alaska.
Its "sister" volcano Illiamna is at the recieving end of the plume and
is back-lit by the recently set sun. The plume, rich in sulphur dioxide,
was detected by satellite extending to another 600 miles downstream.
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at:
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Vulcan Sunset April 5, 2009
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 7 00:42:01 2009 UTC
Another evening brings yet another Volcanic sunset to the Kenai
Peninsula. Redoubt Volcano is visble here across Cook Inlet and is about
67 miles distant. Its steam/ash plume has shifted to a northerly
direction as viewed near sunset from Homer, Alaska. Copyright (c) Dennis
C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net
or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Volcano Sunset April 4, 2009
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 7 00:20:01 2009 UTC
This morning we awoke to the rumble of thunder during a major eruption
of Redoubt Volcano. The day turned to night as the ash cloud made a
direct path to the southern Kenai Peninsula. Later, after the ash cloud
had passed high winds began to pick the ash up and blow it out of the
trees in what locals are refuuring to as "the ash storm". It wasn't
until evening that the skies began to clear and it gave us our first
glimpse of the restless mountain. This image is taken after sunset and
shows the steam/ash plume traveling southward from Redoubt on the right
over its sister volcano, Illiamna, at left. This view is looking
northwest from near Homer, Alaska. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson
Night Trax Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit:
www.auroradude.com
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Animation Of Redoubt Eruption March 28, 2009
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sun Mar 29 00:55:01 2009 UTC
Here's a short animated giff of an eruption of Mount Redoubt taken from
the Homer,Alaska area on the afternoon of March 28, 2009. Copyright(c)
Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at:
auroradude@acsalaska.net or vistit: www.auroradude.com
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Corona, Arc, Sundog
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sat Mar 28 04:38:01 2009 UTC
A solar corona is visible as a ring around the sun and with a brighter
arc at top. A sundog is visible at the left of this image looking west
across Cook Inlet from near Homer, Alaska on the evening of March 27,
2009 (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography contact at
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt Mushroom Cloud
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sat Mar 28 04:15:01 2009 UTC
Redoubt has been evry active indeed today. This is the fourth eruption
so far. This one started at 7:25p.m. ADT March 27, 2009. This image is
taken about ten minutes into the event. A mushroom cloud to about 40,000
feet is visible above the low clouds that obscure the summit. High
clouds and lingering ash/haze also oscure the view of the cloud
somewhat. The height of the cloud later reached about 55,000 feet.
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photogrphy contact at
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt Ash Cloud Over House
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Thu Mar 26 21:36:01 2009 UTC
This view is looking south over our house at 1:10 p.m.ADT on March 26,
2009. The sun is about to leave us for a while. It is getting pretty
dark. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt Ash Cloud Appraoches
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Thu Mar 26 21:01:02 2009 UTC
The ash cloud from Redoubt's eruption this morning is approaching the
Homer area as seen in this image taken at 12:39p.m. ADT. Note the
brownish coloring up nigh. Under neath it is very dark. I think it will
be like night here soon. Time to hole up for a while. Copyright (c)
Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt Ash/Steam cloud to 65,000 feet
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Thu Mar 26 18:56:01 2009 UTC
This morning of March 26,2009 saw another explosive eruption of 10,200
foot redoubt volcano sending ash and steam to over 65,000 feet. While
the volcano is not visible due to clouds and ash obscuring the peak I
have marked its approximate location with a red "RS" at the bottom left
of the image. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography
contact at auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt Ash/Steam Cloud
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Thu Mar 26 18:34:01 2009 UTC
This image shows redoubt volcano's latest emmission on the morning of
March 26, 2009 from our home near Homer, Alaska. The ash/steam cloud was
observed reaching altitudes of over 60,000 feet. I have marked the
approximate location of the 10,200 foot summit with a red "R" at the
bottom left of the image. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax
Photography contact at auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit
www.auroradude.com
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Venus, Iliamna After Sunset
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Fri Mar 20 06:38:01 2009 UTC
Venus shines brightly in the western sky after sunset. Illiamna volcano
is on the horizon at right on this evenong of March 19, 2009 Copyright
(c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at:
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt steam plume at Sunset
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Mon Mar 16 07:07:01 2009 UTC
Redoubt Volcano produced a small eruption today accompanied by a little
ash and lots of steam. Here the steam plume is seen near sunset from the
Southern Kenai Peninsula. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax
Photography Contact at auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit
www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt steam plume and Cloud
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sun Mar 15 23:36:01 2009 UTC
Another shot of Redoubt about an hour after the steam event started. A
cloud has formed well above the summit and is slowly drifting our way.
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography contact at
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt Steam Plume
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sun Mar 15 23:15:01 2009 UTC
This afternoon I noticed a steam plume rising above the summit of
Redoubt Volcano from our home near Homer, Alaska. Seismicity has
increased again and it looks like it really could go off. Copyright (c)
Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at
auroradudee@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Moonset Over Illiamna Volcano
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Mon Feb 9 21:24:01 2009 UTC
A long and bright night comes to an end as the full moon sets behind
Illiamna Volcano. Steam can be seen rising from a fumerole near the
summit as the moon begins to set behind the "South Twin". Interestingly
I witness a large avalanche at the dark spot to the left of the peak
just after the sun rose on the mountain. There is never a dull moment in
this dynamic environment. I took this shot from our perch near Homer,
Alaska on February 9, 2009. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax
Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit
www.auroradude.com
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Redoubt Volcano
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Thu Jan 29 21:56:01 2009 UTC
10,000 foot Redoubt volcano is the northernmost peak in Alaska's
Aleutian Range and is an active strato-volcano. In recent days it is
showing signs of another eruption having produced the last in 1989-90.
This view is looking northwest from Diamond Ridge near Homer. I can only
hope for a nice clear day, like this one in January of 2006, when it
decides to blow again.
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography contact at
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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"Fata Morganna"
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sat Jan 24 19:59:01 2009 UTC
Warm air was over riding cold air creating this nice example of fata
morganna which is an atmospheric phenomenon similar to mirage.
The effect is created during temperature inversions when warm air
overlies cold dense air at the surface. The different densities of the
air masses causes refraction in the atmosphere that can make distant
objects appear above a horizon where they are not normally visible or
streach objects into impossible shapes. Mountains might look taller and
may even seem to appear where there are none in actuallity. This example
is looking northwards towards the Alaska Range about 70-80 miles distant
and is taken from the Homer area on January 22, 2009
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Amderson Night Trax Photography Contact at
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Animated Green Flash
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Wed Dec 31 00:29:01 2008 UTC
The sun was at its furthest point south on December 21st 2008 and as
luck would have it we were able to catch a rare green flash from our
perch near Homer, Alaska as it set over the Gulf of Alaska on the North
Pacific Ocean. This is an animation of the setting sun taken from 20
frames separated by about 30 seconds. The last few frames are spaced
just as close as the digital camera was able to record the event. Click
on the image and give it a while to load completely to view the
animation.
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography
contact at auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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Animated Green Flash Detail
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Wed Dec 31 00:06:02 2008 UTC
Here are the last five frames of the above animation of a green flash in
detail taken on the winter solstice December 21, 2008.
Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography
contact at auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit www.auroradude.com
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"Shadow of a Mountain"
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Sun Dec 21 23:38:01 2008 UTC
While looking through my image files I ran across this jewel I had
overlooked before. This image was acquired on March 24, 2007 from the
beach at Deep Creek, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula. The beach, along the
eastern shore of Cook Inlet, is littered with ice that has been washed
up and glazed by the waves and tides during a long spell of unseasonably
cold temperatures. Across the Inlet 10,197 foot Redoubt Volcano is
visible at left.The aurora borealis twists and curls into spiral
formations to the right of the volcano and is then reflected in the
waters of the inlet. Further to the right, a void in the aurora creates
the effect of a shadow cast into the night sky by the cone-shaped
volcano.
Nitrogen fringing is visible as reddish emissions in the bands of aurora
at right as particularly powerful particles penetrate the Earth's
atmosphere to altitudes down to 35-40 miles high as opposed to the
common green oxygen emissions that take place between about 50 and 100
miles altitude. These types of emissions by molecular nitrogen are as
close to the ground as the aurora ever gets. A bright moon is seen at
the left and reflected in the water. Moonlight sparkles off the icy
beach in the foreground. I used a custom-built 6x9cm. medium-format
camera and Kodak E100VS film for the origional image.
COPYRIGHT (C) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography contact at:
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Early Comes the Day
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Fri Apr 25 20:03:01 2008 UTC
The early light of a new dawn grows stronger while the aurora fades into
memory as seen from our Twelve-Mile Summit camp March 29, 2008 about 80
miles northeast of Fairbanks. I retired to my sleeping bag for a few
short hours and woke to a blazing sun. Our little windbreak had turned
into a great reflector and over our morning coffee we soon realized that
we would surely fry in the intensified sunlight if we stayed too long.
It was time to go so after packing our strung-out gear we started our
three-day journey back to Homer. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night
Trax Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit:
www.auroradude.com
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Short Break
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Fri Apr 25 19:41:01 2008 UTC
Since I was up all night and mostly on my feet, I decided to take a
short break and if you look closely, you will see my ghosted image
sitting on the cooler at right for part of this exposure. At first, I
thought it was the aurora gathering for another wave of activity but
soon enough I realized it was the light of the dawn approaching at our
camp on Twelve-Mile Summit. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax
Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit:
www.auroradude.com
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Now We're Talking!
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 15 22:09:01 2008 UTC
The aurora started out slowly tonight but it did not disappoint. Here is
a shot during the main substorm that came in the early hours of March
29, 2008 as seen above our camp at Twelve-Mile Summit about 80 miles out
of Fairbanks. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography
Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Wood is Good
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 15 21:46:01 2008 UTC
Wind was a definate a factor while camping on this March 28, 2008
evening at Twelve-Mile Summit. We took advantage of a snow berm and
readily availible blocks of snow to construct a crude shelter. Luckily,
one of us was smart enough to include a large bow saw and axe in our
gear so we stopped every day, while traveling, to replenish our supply
of wood. It was a good thing too because there was no wood to be had up
here above the tree line. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax
Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit:
www.auroradude.com
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Wind and the Willow
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 15 21:05:01 2008 UTC
Twelve-Mile Summit, in the White Mountains about 80 miles NE of
Fairbanks, can be a harsh place. The wind blows more than not and I have
turned back from this place several times due to blowing and drifting
snow. It is above the treeline and except for the tundra, there is
little vegetation here. These wind-shaped willows, photographed on March
29, 2008, were the only living thing around taller than a foot or so.
They had found refuge and a chance to start their slow, stunted growth
where a buldozed blade had cut a wayside at the summit. The wind was
pretty strong at sunset but had died down enough to leave the branches
still during this 30-second shot with the northern lights blazing
behind. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact
at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Ribbon of Delight
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 8 20:20:01 2008 UTC
Time had been passing quickly on this March 27-28, 2008 night of auroral
activity and I really had completely lost track of it. But when I
started seeing tall rays of violet light in the northeast, I knew that
night would soon give in to dawn. It is the sun's direct light acting on
the aurora that can coax nitrogen molocules, high in the atmosphere, to
produce beautiful shades of blue and violet in a process known as
resonance scattering. This usually takes place during twilight hours
while the Earth is in the shadow of night but the aurora is reaching up
into sunlight at altitudes of up to 1000 km. (about 600 miles into
space). This is the highest type of aurora measured. I used a 6x7 cm.
medium format camera with a 38mm wide angle lens for this image along
the Chena River east of Fairbanks. Copyright (c) Dennis C. Anderson
Night Trax Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit:
www.auroradude.com
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Chasing Rabbits
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 8 22:17:01 2008 UTC
Early on in our week-long aurora expedition, my brother had expressed
his desire to bag a snow-shoe hare for the stew pot. He had even
prepared a special sauce in anticipation. We saw many, many tracks day
after day but never had the opportunity to get one of these "waskwy
wabbits". Now, as if to tease us, here is a giant rabbit in the sky
leaping above the spruce along the Chena River on the early morning of
March 28, 2008. The sauce had frozen on the first night out and had
remained that way for the duration of the outing. Copyright (c) Dennis
C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at: auroradude@acsalaska.net
or visit: www.auroradude.com
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Bright Band with Nitrogen Fringe
Submitted by:
Dennis Anderson at Tue Apr 8 17:55:01 2008 UTC
On the night of March 27-28 a diffuse band rapidly grows brighter and
begins to display color on its bottom edge. This is an indication that
higher energy particles are penetrating the atmosphere to lower levels
where nitrogen molocules are coaxed into producing reddish and purplish
emissions. The common green aurora is created by the excitation of
oxygen atoms at altitudes ranging from about 100 to 150 km. (60 to 90
miles). This colorful "nitrogen fringing" takes place as low as about
70km. (43 miles). This is as close to the ground as the aurora ever
gets. I used a 6x7 cm. medium format camera with a 75mm lens to record
the northwestern sky from the Chena River east of Fairbanks. Copyright
(c) Dennis C. Anderson Night Trax Photography Contact at:
auroradude@acsalaska.net or visit: www.auroradudee.com
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