On an autumn night in the Highlands just outside the little village of Milton near Invergordon, I stood in a farmer's field and cried as I watched the Aurora Borealis dance. I had a fencepost for a tripod and no remote so I held my breath to keep from shaking the camera too much. So while it isn't a high quality photo, it was a high quality moment!
If you've been watching the Aurora boards overthe last year you will no doubt have seen a surge in references to "STEVE." STEVE was originally the name given by observers who didn't know what the column of light was, and when scientists started to understand it better they created the acronym around the name Steve. So STEVE is now short for "Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, and has to do with a whole bunch of exciting sciencey stuff that I struggle to explain. Did I catch a glimpse of STEVE here? Either way, it was a night to remember.
Oh how I want to see this. I'll be there end of August / beginning of September.