https://www.cnet.com/news/reykjavik-turns-off-street-lamps-so-citizens-can-view-the-northern-lights/
The northern lights have been blazing their beauty across Icelandic skies all last week, but it's a lot easier to watch nature's light show if the city lights themselves aren't so darn bright. So, on Wednesday night the Reykjavik city council turned off the lights in parts of the city so residents could ooh and aah at a clearer display.
The city street lights in most neighborhoods were scheduled to go dark between 10 and 11 p.m., though that time was reportedly extended when the northern lights were a little late to the party. Locals were asked to help by keeping the lights off in their homes. They were asked to drive carefully on the darker -than-normal streets, and the fire, police and power company were warned in advance, according to Iceland Monitor.
(Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Monday October 03 2016, @06:30PM
Just in the last week, I saw an active aurora Borealis for the first time in as long as I can remember.
Normally, all I see at 55 degrees North, in the city, is a faint green haze.
The other night (at city outskirts but not core) I was able to observe the aurora move and change (still monochromatic though).
I tried capturing video with my cell-phone. Recorded nothing but a black box. CMOS image sensors are dirt cheap, but you need CCD for capturing individual photons.
Should have enjoyed the show instead of messing with the stupid cell-phone. :P
(Score: 2, Informative) by aim on Tuesday October 04 2016, @08:19AM
Umm, no, your problem is with your cellphone's sensor and trying for a movie, not the fact that its CMOS.
Using a standard DSLR (which pretty much all also use CMOS sensors), you can capture an aurora, using a long exposure. It helps if your individual pixels are large (i.e. big sensor), so they have a chance of capturing sufficient photons. That's one reason to go full-frame instead of APS-C or smaller - of course, it risks making the rest of the equipment more expensive too (larger lenses, filters etc.). If you're going for proper astro equipment, you'll also want the sensor cooled.