2003/10/30 Strong aurora around 8pm EST! Very vivid red glow (like a red light in the fog) even with naked eye. Observed from Green Tree, Pittsburgh with heavy light pollution. All photos taken with a Nikon coolpix 995 camera, 8 second exposure, ISO 800. Thank AAAP members, especially Nelson J. Merrick, Mark Jablonowski and Larry McHenry for email alert.

(1) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:11 EST

(1) First photo of the night. The pink aurora was almost invisible to the naked eye due to light pollution. Why is the photo tilted? Because the camera was placed on a driveway ramp!

(2) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:21 EST

(2) Aurora intensified. Rays appeared. Note the Big Dipper near horizon.

(3) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:22 EST

(3) More rays.

(4) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:23 EST

(4) A bloody red soft glow rose in the northeast, like a red traffice light in the fog.

(5) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:32 EST

(5) The red patch persisted more than 10 minutes. There was also a faint green glow around zenith briefly.

(6) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:43 EST

(6) Aurora subsided significantly by now.

(7) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:45 EST

(7) Another faint red glow to the east.

(8) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:46 EST

(8) Rays reappeared for a moment.

(9) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 19:54 EST

(9) This set of rays were gone in a minute.

(10) Pittsburgh Aurora 2003/10/30 20:07 EST

(10) The aurora gradually faded away.