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Vincent Ledvina

@Vincent_Ledvina48,664 subscribers

“The Aurora Guy” 📸 🔭Space Physics PhD student☀️💨 Northern lights photographer living in Alaska! Tweets/views own!

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Intense pink aurora shortly after sunset tonight driving south out of Fairbanks, Alaska. Some of the most stunning color in the aurora I have ever seen!

Intense pink aurora shortly after sunset tonight driving south out of Fairbanks, Alaska. Some of the most stunning color in the aurora I have ever seen!

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"Hmm... I wonder why the ground is so green?" *pans camera* 😯

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"Hmm... I wonder why the ground is so green?" *pans camera* 😯

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Going to leave you tonight with another crazy video of the vibrant red aurora we saw in Alaska a few nights ago. Incredible naked-eye colors that made the sky look like it was on fire.

Going to leave you tonight with another crazy video of the vibrant red aurora we saw in Alaska a few nights ago. Incredible naked-eye colors that made the sky look like it was on fire.

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When the aurora is so bright you don't need your headlights to see the road😳 #justalaskathings

When the aurora is so bright you don't need your headlights to see the road😳 #justalaskathings

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One of the brightest auroras I have ever seen…

One of the brightest auroras I have ever seen…

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Wow. Here’s the real-time motion of the aurora tonight filmed with my iPhone. Amazing show just now, and the night is only getting started!

Wow. Here’s the real-time motion of the aurora tonight filmed with my iPhone. Amazing show just now, and the night is only getting started!

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The aurora last night in Beaver, Alaska was just incredible. This is a real-time video (not sped up) of the crazy motion I saw. Also, look how BRIGHT it is, wow!

The aurora last night in Beaver, Alaska was just incredible. This is a real-time video (not sped up) of the crazy motion I saw. Also, look how BRIGHT it is, wow!

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Just now on the Maine cam lol... that moment when it starts to substorm but your camera is back in the car 😂

Just now on the Maine cam lol... that moment when it starts to substorm but your camera is back in the car 😂

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Josi Shelley arrives in Beaver, Alaska at 1104 pm tonight currently in the lead in the Yukon Quest dogsled race! What a cool thing to witness while I am here!

Josi Shelley arrives in Beaver, Alaska at 1104 pm tonight currently in the lead in the Yukon Quest dogsled race! What a cool thing to witness while I am here!

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🚨 Aurora Alert! 🚨 Hey everyone, a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun is heading our way, potentially sparking strong aurora displays tonight into tomorrow (Nov 7-8). NOAA predicts arrival of the CME around midnight UTC on Nov 7, but add +/- 7 hours for uncertainty. The CME we are concerned with specifically launched due to an M7.4 CME produced by AR 4274. In coronagraph imagery, a full halo eruption iswasclearly seen. This is how we know this particular eruption is coming at us. When it will hit and how strong it will be are not things we can predict until we see the shockwave detected by satellites close to Earth (ACE, DSCOVR at the L1 point). The forecast shows possible G3 storming, and there are multiple CMEs on the way besides the main arrival around midnight on Nov 7. There is also a coronal hole that may enhance and add additional complexity to the situation, affecting arrival times of the CME(s). Conditions need to align for the best-case scenario to play out. The CME needs to hit (most models have a high % chance of this happening, but you never know), and the Bz needs to be southward for some time for conditions to ramp up. The auroral ovals may expand to lower latitudes, and chasers above the 45th parallel may see auroras all night long. During substorms, the aurora "explodes" across the sky and becomes bright and tall. These explosive bursts push the northern lights higher in the sky, making them appear further equatorward. Download my free e-book and check my blog for substorm info: E-book: Substorms: Your aurora apps will likely not tell you when a substorm is occuring, but these times are VERY important since we have a full moon. Without a substorm, you may not be able to see the aurora well. To track substorm activity, I use the GOES magnetometers. I have a tutorial about how to use these data on my website: . A few aurora apps/websites may help you track substorms. For example, the Glendale App issues alerts when substorms are occuring: . This app has a bit of a steeper learning curve compared to others, but it provides useful alerts for catching brief intensifications of aurora. I also like Norlys ( and Aurora Notice ( Webcams are probably the MOST helpful resources, though. I have a large list of cameras all around the world and the northern U.S. on my website: . If you see the aurora on a webcam near you, it is out at your location, too. The Maine webcam in particular is great to get a "feel" for how aurora might shape up across the Lower 48. I always have that one pulled up as sun sets on the east coast to see if aurora can immediately be seen on the northern horizon. Keep following for more updates on this event. I am at a workshop today until 5 pm MST then traveling back to Calgary on my way to the Aurora Summit, so be patient with my updates. I am working as fast as I can :) Thanks!

🚨 Aurora Alert! 🚨 Hey everyone, a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun is heading our way, potentially sparking strong aurora displays tonight into tomorrow (Nov 7-8). NOAA predicts arrival of the CME around midnight UTC on Nov 7, but add +/- 7 hours for uncertainty. The CME we are concerned with specifically launched due to an M7.4 CME produced by AR 4274. In coronagraph imagery, a full halo eruption iswasclearly seen. This is how we know this particular eruption is coming at us. When it will hit and how strong it will be are not things we can predict until we see the shockwave detected by satellites close to Earth (ACE, DSCOVR at the L1 point). The forecast shows possible G3 storming, and there are multiple CMEs on the way besides the main arrival around midnight on Nov 7. There is also a coronal hole that may enhance and add additional complexity to the situation, affecting arrival times of the CME(s). Conditions need to align for the best-case scenario to play out. The CME needs to hit (most models have a high % chance of this happening, but you never know), and the Bz needs to be southward for some time for conditions to ramp up. The auroral ovals may expand to lower latitudes, and chasers above the 45th parallel may see auroras all night long. During substorms, the aurora "explodes" across the sky and becomes bright and tall. These explosive bursts push the northern lights higher in the sky, making them appear further equatorward. Download my free e-book and check my blog for substorm info: E-book: Substorms: Your aurora apps will likely not tell you when a substorm is occuring, but these times are VERY important since we have a full moon. Without a substorm, you may not be able to see the aurora well. To track substorm activity, I use the GOES magnetometers. I have a tutorial about how to use these data on my website: . A few aurora apps/websites may help you track substorms. For example, the Glendale App issues alerts when substorms are occuring: . This app has a bit of a steeper learning curve compared to others, but it provides useful alerts for catching brief intensifications of aurora. I also like Norlys ( and Aurora Notice ( Webcams are probably the MOST helpful resources, though. I have a large list of cameras all around the world and the northern U.S. on my website: . If you see the aurora on a webcam near you, it is out at your location, too. The Maine webcam in particular is great to get a "feel" for how aurora might shape up across the Lower 48. I always have that one pulled up as sun sets on the east coast to see if aurora can immediately be seen on the northern horizon. Keep following for more updates on this event. I am at a workshop today until 5 pm MST then traveling back to Calgary on my way to the Aurora Summit, so be patient with my updates. I am working as fast as I can :) Thanks!

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Now that we’ve had a big auroral event, I’m wondering if you all have any questions about what you saw what happened I may be able to answer. I’ll give it my best shot and point to references when needed, but ask away. Let me hear your questions about the aurora!

Now that we’ve had a big auroral event, I’m wondering if you all have any questions about what you saw what happened I may be able to answer. I’ll give it my best shot and point to references when needed, but ask away. Let me hear your questions about the aurora!

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This is what the aurora looks like directly overhead…

This is what the aurora looks like directly overhead…

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20 minutes ago here in Venetie, Alaska, the skies erupted in a beautiful auroral substorm. Here is just one of many real-time videos I recorded during the show to give you a sense of how fast and dynamic the aurora can move.

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20 minutes ago here in Venetie, Alaska, the skies erupted in a beautiful auroral substorm. Here is just one of many real-time videos I recorded during the show to give you a sense of how fast and dynamic the aurora can move.

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One of my favorite timelapses from Churchill! When a small cloud bank suddenly appeared from the north and blocked the view of the brightening aurora, I was scared we would miss the pop. Fortunately, the clouds dissipated and the aurora waited to pop until we had a clear view!

One of my favorite timelapses from Churchill! When a small cloud bank suddenly appeared from the north and blocked the view of the brightening aurora, I was scared we would miss the pop. Fortunately, the clouds dissipated and the aurora waited to pop until we had a clear view!

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Have you ever seen such red aurora?

Have you ever seen such red aurora?

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A green auroral arc tonight cutting through a wall of red…

A green auroral arc tonight cutting through a wall of red…

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Yes, you can really see the aurora with your eyes — but not always as brightly or colorfully as photos suggest. The vivid greens, purples, and reds often seen online are enhanced by camera sensors that collect light over long exposures. Human vision works differently: in low light, our rod cells dominate, allowing us to detect faint movement and brightness but not much color. Because of this, many people perceive dim auroras as grey, white, or pale green rather than the vibrant tones shown in images. When the aurora is strong and directly overhead — especially in darker, high-latitude locations — your cone cells (which detect color) can engage, and you may see genuine greens and even pink or red hues. However, from lower latitudes or during weak displays, the colors are far subtler and may seem washed out. Factors like moonlight, mild light pollution, or even briefly flashing a light in your eyes can momentarily enhance color perception by activating your cone cells. So while the aurora is very real to the naked eye, it usually appears less colorful but more dynamic than in photographs — shimmering, shifting, and alive in motion. The true magic lies not in its brightness, but in the experience of seeing the sky itself come to life.

Yes, you can really see the aurora with your eyes — but not always as brightly or colorfully as photos suggest. The vivid greens, purples, and reds often seen online are enhanced by camera sensors that collect light over long exposures. Human vision works differently: in low light, our rod cells dominate, allowing us to detect faint movement and brightness but not much color. Because of this, many people perceive dim auroras as grey, white, or pale green rather than the vibrant tones shown in images. When the aurora is strong and directly overhead — especially in darker, high-latitude locations — your cone cells (which detect color) can engage, and you may see genuine greens and even pink or red hues. However, from lower latitudes or during weak displays, the colors are far subtler and may seem washed out. Factors like moonlight, mild light pollution, or even briefly flashing a light in your eyes can momentarily enhance color perception by activating your cone cells. So while the aurora is very real to the naked eye, it usually appears less colorful but more dynamic than in photographs — shimmering, shifting, and alive in motion. The true magic lies not in its brightness, but in the experience of seeing the sky itself come to life.

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If NOAA SWPC's CME model is correct, we may get hit by a pretty fast solar storm Thursday night. Currently, there is a G3/Strong Storm watch for Thursday and Friday, and depending on what we see at Earth, auroral displays may be seen further equatorward than usual. Stay tuned!

If NOAA SWPC's CME model is correct, we may get hit by a pretty fast solar storm Thursday night. Currently, there is a G3/Strong Storm watch for Thursday and Friday, and depending on what we see at Earth, auroral displays may be seen further equatorward than usual. Stay tuned!

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“Hmm, I wonder why the ground looks green?” “Oh!” 🤯

“Hmm, I wonder why the ground looks green?” “Oh!” 🤯

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