The sky sparkles and changes color continuously. They moved violently, sometimes dancing and undulating, sometimes shooting into the sky like fireworks. If there is an accompanying orchestra, this place is like a stage filled with splendid light.
First hunting trip One winter day at the end of February. Around 11 o’clock at night, my father and I eagerly drove to the northern suburbs of Calgary – Canada with the expectation of seeing a colorful moving Northern Lights. Northern Lights), aka Aurora Borealis, in a clear cloudless sky. We had never seen them in our lives, and the information about their occurrence was contained in a news report released by the weather agency, with a prediction accuracy of 35%. However, for astronomy lovers, photographers living in this country of maple leaves know that, thanks to its location in the sub-Arctic region, with less light pollution, Canada has become one of the most beautiful places in the world. The most powerful and beautiful aurora active spot in the world. In particular, towns in the Northern Territory of Canada such as Yellowknife, Whitehorse, Iqaluit, … are the places where the aurora occurs most often. Therefore, it is not surprising that most tour operators here exploit this type of aurora viewing, with an attractive offer: visitors have a 90% chance of seeing this amazing phenomenon. Moreover, during the winter, from October to April next year, when Aurora often occurs, the whole North America region in general with the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan,… and the northwestern provinces of Canada in particular. also “follow” observing this masterpiece of art from this universe. 
Results of the first trip to hunt the first aurora in February 2021. Photo of Tran The Dung Turning onto the dirt road through the snow-covered meadows and the quiet scattered farms in the middle of the night, from the car, we looked up at the sky. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary except for thousands of twinkling stars floating around. Going a little further, we discovered a faint cloud to the northwest and it seemed to be iridescent, flashing light and dark. Had to turn back and find a way to run right there to see clearly. Still not seeing the cloud glow green – a common signal when the aurora appears that many “Aurora hunters” talk about, but hunch plus unusual strange points around the clouds make them I believe this is the aurora. Even though it’s minus 20 degrees Celsius outside at the moment, we decided to take the camera out to shoot with exposure techniques, as the camera gathers light longer than the human eye. The result is stunning: a pair of ribbons of blue light against a starry sky appear on the camera monitor. The first Aurora hunting trip, with our own efforts, we discovered and captured “her”, although not gorgeous and magical, but also inspired us to continue to learn and accept. many useful experiences. The secret to finding “her” Aurora activity is monitored by spacecraft, and all data on their activity levels are converted to Kp readings, which range from 0 to 9. The higher the Kp number, the more likely it is to have an aurora. the larger the optical. 
Aurora appeared during a hunting trip in March 2021. Photo of Tran The Dung From Kp 5 and above, scientists warn that they are geomagnetic storms, or solar wind storms, because they can cause problems for radio stations, the national power grid, etc. However, with the Astronomy enthusiasts, photographers, this intensity ignited the hope of experiencing the most intense movement of light. However, that chance is only 50%, the rest is the weather factor. Must be clear sky, clear clouds. The intensity and duration of Aurora is as strong as a weather forecaster, but the risk is that they are hidden when they appear, sometimes dim, and sometimes appear like a red-haired teenage girl. On nights when the aurora is forecast to appear, with a level of Kp 5 or higher, they can stretch for thousands of kilometers, so it is likely to see “her” almost anywhere in Alberta, as long as at midnight when it is darkest and not polluted by light from urban areas, residential areas, full moon. Dispersion of artificial light or moonlight will interfere with tracking, reduce the ability to display the colors of the aurora, even when taking pictures will give inaccurate results. If you have no experience, it is better to go to the northern countryside, find the quiet country roads, the darkness is thick. Alternatively, consult the map of Aurora hunting spots on the Alberta Aurora Hunters Association website. However, the above tips to help people easily access the “Northern lights”, but no one is sure when it will appear, because this is a phenomenon of solar wind, beyond human control. Even forecast bulletins only give an accuracy of 35-50%, not to mention at the last minute it increases or decreases in level or disappears. 
Aurora appeared during the fifth hunting trip in April 2021. The author uses the Time-lapse technique to take over 200 photos and then combine them into a short clip of just a few tens of seconds to see the movement and splendid colors of the aurora. Photo of Tran The Dung Pursue to the end After the first trip, we continued to pursue three more times, but only once captured the “dancing girl” in a very short time. Our perseverance and perseverance are finally rewarded. It was near midnight on the last day of April, the weather in Alberta was beginning to spring, and it was also the end of the northern aurora hunting season in Canada. On a remote road in the city of Airdrie, more than 50km from home, Do Thanh and I – a Vietnamese photographer living in Calgary – drove to find a suitable location, prepare the hunt after receiving information. tonight aurora will appear with KP level 6 and many positive signs. We seem to be late because at this hour, every corner of the Airdrie farm area is parked with aurora enthusiasts’ cars. Not to mention, the car ran back and forth, rushing to find a place like going to watch hockey. There is indeed folly in chasing after something in the sky. In the end, we found a dilapidated old warehouse in the middle of nowhere to serve as the foreground for upcoming photos. As time went by, we still sat with our eyes wide and waited, forgetting the cold of minus 6 degrees Celsius. Occasionally, I headed to the north or northwest to take pictures to check the change of the sky showing blue colors. gem. Suddenly, wow, it showed up! 
Magnificent aurora lights appear in the province of Alberta – Canada. Do Thanh’s photo We both exclaimed as we saw the sky begin to sparkle before erupting in the shape of a bow and changing color continuously from yellow, green, blue to purple. Then “boom”, they move violently, sometimes dancing and undulating, sometimes shooting into the sky like fireworks. Imagine if there was a symphony orchestra at this time, this place would turn into a stage filled with splendid and magical light with many levels. We were hypnotized by them, confused, fumbling with our hands and feet, and then quickly switched to Time-lapse shooting (automatically taking multiple photos with equal exposure) to catch the changes of the aurora and make videos when needed, although shooting this type of photography will reduce the life of the camera. Returning home at more than 3am, we were both hungry and quite tired but our emotions were still high. Asked if he would go again next time, photographer Do Thanh shared: “Hunting aurora is similar to fishing, in addition to helping anglers practice patience and temper, it is necessary to observe, brainstorm to find understand prey; Once you’ve caught a fish, you’ll want to catch a bigger fish next time.” According to Roman mythology, Aurora was the name of the dawn goddess who traveled from east to west to announce the arrival of the sun, but in astronomy, Aurora means aurora – a strange optical phenomenon. Animals appear in the night sky in places located near the North and South poles of the Earth. They are produced by a stream of plasma particles from the solar wind entering the earth’s atmosphere and interacting with molecules, nitrogen and oxygen atoms and stimulating these molecules to emit light (Aurora) of all colors. color: cyan, blue, pink, red and purple with clicking or squeaking sound. Usually the aurora rays are bright at an altitude of 100 km and cover the vast sky. Tran The Dung (Ho Chi Minh City Young Generation Travel Company)
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