08/08/2024
My First Aurora at 32° North Latitude! 🌌
My dream came true in the most unexpected place!🗺🧭
On May 10, 2024, I was traveling around Madeira, scouting new photography locations. Discouraged by cloudy skies, I was about to give up on capturing the Milky Way in one of Europe’s darkest skies.
Thet evening, I returned to my hostel, exhausted from a week of exploration. Just before sleeping, I read about a very powerful solar storm and saw images of the Aurora Borealis visible from the Dolomites in Italy. Envious, I decided to sleep.😴
A few minutes later, my friend messaged me he was photographing the Aurora from Pico de Arieiro with and suggested I go there, though they were about to leave. My mind woke up in no time, I quickly gathered my gear, and I set out, though I knew the Northern Lights typically don't last long, especially at such a low latitude.
As I drove for an hour, I kept thinking it couldn’t be possible, Madeira was too far south for the Aurora. It had to be a very bad joke! When I arrived at the spot after a 30 min walk at 1 AM, I didn’t encounter a single person along the whole way, which only increased my doubts.🧐 But once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I was greeted by a breathtaking sight.
The full arch of the Milky Way was visible, rising above the path exactly as I had planned. To the north, I noticed a faint purple glow and wondered if it was airglow or my eyes playing tricks. I set up my camera for a long exposure, and when I saw the image, I felt a rush of emotion like never before.🤯
Tears blurred my vision with no control and my chest felt like it was going to burst. I quickly adjusted my setup, changing my planned 180° shot to a 360° panorama to capture a double arch. The cold wind was relentless, making everything more difficult and preventing me from using the star tracker. I spent the next three hours capturing the panorama, waiting for the perfect moment. At 4 AM, the Aurora intensified, and I could clearly see it with my eyes. So I did an extra round to capture that marvel.🌌🌟
By 5:30 AM, night was ending, and I had no choice but to pack up and say goodbye to that icredible night.🌑