Northern Lights: The Science, Myth, and Wonder of Aurora Borealis

by Calvin Hall, Daryl Pederson (Photographer)

Electric green pierced by neon blue, shocking pink spinning into violent red, and shimmering purple sidled up against deep never before have you seen such high-octane colors in the sky, and never before has a book shown the northern lights-aurora borealis-in such vivid color. In Northern Lights, photographers Calvin Hall and Daryl Pederson bring to print nearly a hundred photographs of this amazing natural phenomenon, shot from remote locations all over Alaska and using no filters or digital enhancement. Just as fascinating are the legends, myths, and science surrounding this polar phenomenon, described by George Bryson. As 2002 marks the peak viewing time of the northern lights in an eleven-year cycle, this book brings the elusive magic of the northern lights to stargazers near and far.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Science, Travel, Natural History

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 6, 2001

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for the photos, but one lost for the words that said that light from the sun reaches the Earth in 8 seconds (it's 8 minutes...)

[Chriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photographs are phenomenal in this book and makes me want to rush up to Alaska to see the Northern Lights in person. Of course reading some of the legends and historical accounts is extremely interesting but the real reason I was interested in this book was the mention of Northwest Airlines Flight 4422. This plane crashed on Mount Sanford on March 12, 1948 killing 30 men and it is believed to be the only case of a plane crash being blamed for the pilots being blinded by the Aurora Borealis. I'm intrigued with this and have followed this crash extensively. But regardless, the photos are worth everything!!!!

[[ J o ] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Northern Lights focuses on the sky phenomena Aurora Borealis, a Northern-Hemisphere light show that occurs as charged particles enter the atmosphere and causes ionisation. Put simply, the solar winds (bursts from the sun) interact with the Earth's natural magnetism and pretty lights dance about.

The book offers up a side-story accompaniment to the beautiful photographs of many myths and stories surrounding the Northern Lights, including localised tales and conspiracy theories of missing planes. I think the main point anyone would buy this book would be for the photographs: I will admit now that I barely skimmed the wording, not merely because I already know the cause of the Auroras, but also because it was more concerned with Alaska and that does not pique my interest.

The photographs, however, are sublime. Some are of a lower quality than one would like in a book, but they are all as delightful as the next and with each page turn, no two photos are the same, which is definitely true of the Northern Lights itself. They're captured from many different vantage points: from mountains to cities and ski lodges. The Northern Lights are impossible to predict completely, though if there is a strong solar flare from the sun, chances are they will be strong, but you can still never tell if you will see them. It's a risk and a chance that many take and quite often it is missed. At least with this book you can view the spectacle whenever you choose, seeing even the most rare versions of the dancing lights in wonderful colours rarely seen.


Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy

[Scott Benowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an amateur photographer and I have an interest in night time photography. I purchased this book specifically for the photos. Calvin Jall and Daryl Pederson are well known for their photography of the aurora borealis in Alaska.
The descriptions of the science behind the auroras as well as Native Alaskan tribal mythology relating to the auroras is quite interesting too.
I can recommend this book for both reasons- I'd have purchased this book if it were only the photos because I need to learn some techniques for night time photography, but if you are interested in mythology from various Native Alaskan tribes as well as a description of how the chemicals which are present in the upper layers of the atmosphere of the earth react with ionized subatomic particles from solar radiation, this book works very well for those purposes too.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this diminutive volume would easily get 5 stars from me based purely on the photography - it is varied, well-captioned, and utterly stunning. Each page feels like a 2019 calendar at Barnes and Noble that hasn't gone on clearance yet! But, the essays and astronomical tidbits have all the accessibility of Neil deGrasse Tyson's mini-lectures, and I really appreciated how the authors balanced the beauty of the phenomenon with the bare-bones facts and personal experiences. I have read accounts from storm chasers, but those were tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards - not solar storms, magnetic field experts, polar explorers, and aurora weatherman. This was quite unique and compelling.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the pictures! And now this phenomenon doesn't seem so mysterious, but it's still amazing.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking of you.