If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC TV this
evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.

Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
(and decent incidental music for a change).

-- 
Rodney Blackall (retired meteorologist)(BSc, FRMetS, MRI)
Buckingham, ENGLAND
Using Acorn SA-RPC, OS 4.02 with ANT INS and Pluto 3.03j

Rodney Blackall wrote:
> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC TV this
> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
> 
> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
> (and decent incidental music for a change).
> 
Everything you said and more. That trip to Svalbard is on my to-do list.

"Rodney Blackall"  wrote in message 
news:4fdb43e4b4rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk...
> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC TV 
> this
> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
>
> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
> (and decent incidental music for a change).
>
Recorded it Rodney - watched the global climate prog on BBC2 at same time..

Phil

Yes I absolutely agree, and wonderful in BBC HD as well !!

Dave


"Rodney Blackall"  wrote in message 
news:4fdb43e4b4rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk...
> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC TV 
> this
> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
>
> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
> (and decent incidental music for a change).
>
> -- 
> Rodney Blackall (retired meteorologist)(BSc, FRMetS, MRI)
> Buckingham, ENGLAND
> Using Acorn SA-RPC, OS 4.02 with ANT INS and Pluto 3.03j
>
>

On Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:12:43 +0100, Rodney Blackall wrote:

> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC TV this
> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
> 
> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
> (and decent incidental music for a change).

Should be available on BBC iPlayer very soon.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00dhv1n/
-- 
MCC

"Tim"  wrote in message 
news:ga1gtd$1epo$1@energise.enta.net...
> Rodney Blackall wrote:
>> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC TV 
>> this
>> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
>>
>> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
>> (and decent incidental music for a change).
>>
> Everything you said and more. That trip to Svalbard is on my to-do list.

Yeah imagine the tourism that will flock there now - u gonna be one of them 
are you:)

-- 
Dave R. [west London]

On Sep 7, 10:35 pm, "Phil Layton"  wrote:
> "Rodney Blackall"  wrote in message
>
> news:4fdb43e4b4rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk...> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC TV this
> > evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
>
> > Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
> > (and decent incidental music for a change).
>
> Recorded it Rodney - watched the global climate prog on BBC2 at same time..

Typical BBC.

Pushing digital or what? Bllody awful reception with digital breaking
up plays havoc with science stuff.

So you have to tune in again when they repeat it about 50 times in the
next month or so.

They could do a lot more by not repeating the news every 15 minutes.
We already have an history channel. Three of them 12, 80 and 82.

Then there are the ancient movie channels for all those who want to
reminisce about life in the USA McCarthy years.

All of it with gaping chunks missing just like watching TV in the
50's. Are they all Dr Who fan-boys there or what?

In message <hKGdnWv_db9U01nVnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@posted.plusnet>, Dave R. 
 writes
>
>"Tim"  wrote in message 
>news:ga1gtd$1epo$1@energise.enta.net...
>> Rodney Blackall wrote:
>>> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC 
>>>TV  this
>>> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
>>>
>>> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking aurora
>>> (and decent incidental music for a change).
>>>
>> Everything you said and more. That trip to Svalbard is on my to-do list.
>
>Yeah imagine the tourism that will flock there now - u gonna be one of 
>them are you:)
>
Maybe. A friend went camping there in March the other year. Yes I did 
say "camping". Some expedition by sled, can't remember the details, but 
he went supporting a research project.
-- 
Tim
http://www.pitfieldbeershop.co.uk/

"Rodney Blackall"  wrote in message 
news:4fdb43e4b4rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk...
> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC 
> TV this
> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
>
> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking 
> aurora
> (and decent incidental music for a change).
>

How genuine I wonder were the later images of aurora + full moon + stars 
+ illuminated clouds + distant buildings + illuminated foreground figure 
( presumably Miss L ) ?   Nice desktop/screensaver though and worth some 
award if real.

Tom

In message <48c5447a$0$2921$fa0fcedb@news.zen.co.uk>, Tom Allen 
 writes
>
>"Rodney Blackall"  wrote in message
>news:4fdb43e4b4rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk...
>> If you missed Joanna Lumley's trip to see the Northern Lights on BBC
>> TV this
>> evening (Sunday 7 September) watch out for a repeat.
>>
>> Wonderful scenery, cloudscapes, arctic sea smoke and breathtaking
>> aurora
>> (and decent incidental music for a change).
>>
>
>How genuine I wonder were the later images of aurora + full moon + stars
>+ illuminated clouds + distant buildings + illuminated foreground figure
>( presumably Miss L ) ?   Nice desktop/screensaver though and worth some
>award if real.
>
Aurora are tricky to photograph. They being so dim you often get over 
exposure of the foreground and/or blurring of the aurora.
-- 
Tim
http://www.pitfieldbeershop.co.uk/

In article <hKGdnWv_db9U01nVnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@posted.plusnet>, Dave R.
 wrote:

> Yeah imagine the tourism that will flock there now - u gonna be one of
> them are you:)

I visited Magdalena Bay (NW Spitzbergen) by ship a few years ago about
midsummer (no aurora!) Waking up to a cloudless blue-black sky, glassy black
sea with small ice floes and dazzling white mountains is unforgetable. 5 deg
C seemed quite warm.

Most passengers went ashore to see the desolate little graveyard, have a
drink at "the World's most northerly bar" and generally be uplifted by the
scenery with our floating home adding a little colour.

Longyearbyn is a great place buy skins and warm clothing but not much more.

Wandering about on the island is NOT encouraged; armed escort is vital as
there are plenty of polar bears about.

I'd love to go back when there is darkness to see the lights.

-- 
Rodney Blackall (retired meteorologist)(BSc, FRMetS, MRI)
Buckingham, ENGLAND
Using Acorn SA-RPC, OS 4.02 with ANT INS and Pluto 3.03j

On Sep 8, 10:47 pm, Rodney Blackall 
wrote:
> In article <hKGdnWv_db9U01nVnZ2dnUVZ8rKdn...@posted.plusnet>, Dave R.
>
>  wrote:
> > Yeah imagine the tourism that will flock there now - u gonna be one of
> > them are you:)
>
> I visited Magdalena Bay (NW Spitzbergen) by ship a few years ago about
> midsummer (no aurora!) Waking up to a cloudless blue-black sky, glassy black
> sea with small ice floes and dazzling white mountains is unforgetable. 5 deg
> C seemed quite warm.
>
> Most passengers went ashore to see the desolate little graveyard, have a
> drink at "the World's most northerly bar" and generally be uplifted by the
> scenery with our floating home adding a little colour.
>
> Longyearbyn is a great place buy skins and warm clothing but not much more.
>
> Wandering about on the island is NOT encouraged; armed escort is vital as
> there are plenty of polar bears about.
>
> I'd love to go back when there is darkness to see the lights.
>
> --
> Rodney Blackall (retired meteorologist)(BSc, FRMetS, MRI)
> Buckingham, ENGLAND
> Using Acorn SA-RPC, OS 4.02 with ANT INS and Pluto 3.03j

Lovely post. Well written and evocative. TY. I'd love to visit too and
my regret is that I can't go back!

Paul

In article , Rodney Blackall 
 writes
>In article <hKGdnWv_db9U01nVnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@posted.plusnet>, Dave R.
> wrote:
>
>> Yeah imagine the tourism that will flock there now - u gonna be one of
>> them are you:)
>
>I visited Magdalena Bay (NW Spitzbergen) by ship a few years ago about
>midsummer (no aurora!) Waking up to a cloudless blue-black sky, glassy black
>sea with small ice floes and dazzling white mountains is unforgetable. 5 deg
>C seemed quite warm.
>
>Most passengers went ashore to see the desolate little graveyard, have a
>drink at "the World's most northerly bar" and generally be uplifted by the
>scenery with our floating home adding a little colour.
>
>Longyearbyn is a great place buy skins and warm clothing but not much more.
>
>Wandering about on the island is NOT encouraged; armed escort is vital as
>there are plenty of polar bears about.
>
>I'd love to go back when there is darkness to see the lights.
>
I've never been there in darkness, though have visited about a dozen 
times, doing biological research in the 1970s and 1980s, but in the last 
two years spending ten days in July on a small (30-35 passengers) cruise 
ship as a guide. Last year, we circumnavigated the main island of 
Spitsbergen which usually becomes possible from about early July 
onwards. This year, we tried and failed, because of too much ice!! A 
period of strong northerly winds just before we arrived moved the pack 
ice against the north coast whereas the previous year it was its more 
usual 100 km or more to the north. Our ice-strengthened ship even had to 
go to the rescue of two other ships that had gone a little further into 
the pack ice than was wise!

Because of the polar bear risk, all five guides carried rifles and flare 
guns when we were on land and no-one was allowed to stray far. We saw 16 
polar bears in all, 13 of them on ice, 3 on land. We were either in the 
ship or in 10-person zodiacs. The closest we got, on the ship and in the 
zodiacs, was about 40 yards. The walruses were good, too!

-- 
Malcolm