Last night I watched the Northern Lights down on the shores of Lake Superior. The display was fantastic, and I even took photographs of the Aurora Borealis, but how did I even know it was worth staying up late and then spending 2+ hours down at Brighton Beach watching dancing lights fill the heavens till after 1 am in the morning??

(Although most of these post is still very relevant,. there is now even a better app for monitoring the Northern Lights … see my post of November 15, 2013)

Given I love to sleep, enter some apps and bookmarked web pages which let me know IN ADVANCE whether I should be an insomniac for a given night! This post actually updated my entry from last Fall when I blogged about the same topic. I've actually changed my tune in terms of what I have installed on my Google Nexus 10 due to six months of additional testing. All of these services are free, but an investment of a few dollars will optimize your experience.

Here is the short list of what I use, followed by a more in depth explanation including screenshots and photos taken last night around 12:45 am:

• Apps:
  • AuroraNotifier - This app is my primary choice for my Nexus 10. One does not need the premium version. It does a great job of giving updates on short term viewing prospects (one hour forecast), and has a customizable alert which may be configured by the Kp index.
• Web Sites with a Home Screen Bookmark on my Tablet:
  • Aurora Forecast from the University of Alaska – A wealth of data may be found upon the Alaska site including long term forecasts, short term forecasts, and free email alerts. Visit the University of Alaska web site and out fill out their brief form. You will then receive email alerts whenever the Kp index is greater than a "4"
  • Ovation Aurora from the NOAA (National Weather Service) – See screenshot. This excellent map is color coded and lets me know the probabilty for viewing in my region

Please note I have removed Aurora Forecast (iOS and Android) from my most recommended list. I does a decent job of providing the long range forecast (1 to 7 days), but the short term forecast (next hour) is poor. However, I still keep it installed for a heads up it often gives me a number of days prior to an expected geomagnetic storm. 

Here are my screenshots with accompanying explanations taken during last nights' geomagnetic storm and my Northern Lights viewing down on the shores of Lake Superior. I've include two photos that I took around 12:30 am (ISO: 200, Aperture: 2.7, Exposure: 64 seconds).

Click upon any annotated screenshot or photo to view at full size!

Longer Term Northern Lights Forecast (1 to 7 days)
University of Alaska

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Short Term Northern Lights Forecast (1 hour)
University of Alaska

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Ovation Aurora Forecast (1 to 4 hours)
National Weather Service 

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AuroraNotifier Android App (and alerts)
Google Play

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Kp Northern Lights Chart
NOAA and the Planetary K Index

This chart will help you understand how a Kp number relates to viewing on the ground. Please note the Kp index gives the reading required for Northern Lights directly overhead. Depending upon atnosperic conditions, people to the south may be able to see the Aurora nearer the horizon.

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And finally two photos I took last night. If you are interested in photographing the Northern Lights I highly recommend reading these two web pages:

• How to Photograph the Northern Lights (AlaskaPhotoGraphics.Com)
• Shooting the Aurora Borealis (Dick Hutchinson)

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 Brighton Beach Northern Lights Photo #1 near Duluth Minnesota
Night of June 6/7, 2013

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Brighton Beach Northern Lights Photo #2 near Duluth Minnesota
Night of June 6/7, 2013

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I'm still learning night time photography, which involved hacking my Canon camera with CHDK, but that's a whole different topic! (Creating a Dual Boot OS Digital Camera)

Two days ago I took a 38 mile bike ride along the Luce Line Trail. This abandoned gravel railroad grade reaches out into the central Minnesota countryside. After a long Winter and cold Spring, the wildflowers are finally starting to bloom. I decided it would be a nice photography lesson for me if I practiced closeups where the flower's bloom is the focus of the picture, with the background blurred out.

It was fun taking the photos, and when I returned home I wondered aloud to myself: "What flowers are these?" My first action was to retreat to my trusty Nexus 10 and search on "Minnesota Wildflower Apps".  Eureka, an app named Minnesota Wildflowers existed for $2.99. However, after reading a few reviews I discovered the app was the same service which was online via a superb web site. I found that the web site responded quicker than the "free lite" version of the app, and the advanced search was quicker than the app's search. In the end, I just bookmarked a "home screen" link to the web site. No app required.

My little scenario points out that it is often much better to use a web site for your tablet and/or smartphone needs. Optimizing an app for either Android or iOS can be a daunting task frought with development difficulties and bugs. As a consumer you will often be better off with bookmarking a humble web page which may perform more effectively … and it's cheaper too!

Here the my flower photographs. Can you match the flower's image (click to maximize) to its name? (Hint: the names are often a dead giveaway)

• Dames Rocket
• Garden Yellow Rocket
• Ground Ivy
• Red Columbine
• Virginia Waterleaf
• Wild Geranium

 
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I often hear the comment, but the iPad has soooo many more apps than an Android tablet. While this may be true for gaming and music, if your tablet usage equates to other kinds of information consumption, this example of Bufflehead Ducks and Red-Winged Blackbirds via iBird Pro is an indication where avoiding Apple's closed environment for the world of Google is to your advantage … and cheaper still!

Some background, whenever I take a bike ride, my DSLR camera is always with me. Remember, the adage, if you don't have your camera, you'll NEVER get the picture! Given our long Winter in Minnesota, even though it is just a few days shy of May 1st, snows is still on the ground, and the lakes are socked in with ice. Thus, whenever there is a bit of open water, even 30 yards between the shoreline and the ice sheet, the birds flock to these areas. In addition, birds that should be approaching the Canadian sub Arctic to spend the Summer, and stuck in Minnesota. Thus, it is with the Bufflehead Duck. These shy birds have paused their migration near my home. Using my camera seat as my tripod, I took the photo shown below.

While Red-Winged Blackbirds are a common sight, at this time of year they are trying to attrack a mate. Thus, another neat photo opportunity using my bike as a photo taking platform. With respect to the blackbirds, I knew what kind of bird I was viewing, but with Mr. Bufflehead, I had no idea what was the subject of my photos except the duck was not common to these parts. Enter my iBird Pro Android tablet app. (post continued below the bird photos with iBird screenshots and comments)

 

(click upon either image to view at full size and resolution)
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Now some information on the identification of Mr. Bufflehead using iBird Pro

(click to view any of these six screenshots at full size / resolution)

1. Enter Galley Mode … Whoa … Way to many birds! (923)
2. Press <Search> to Select and Apply some Filters
   (screenshots for #1 and #2)
    
    
   
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3. My selections: 
   • Habitat: "Lakes, Rivers & Ponds" and "Marches, Swamps"
   • Shape: "Duck-like"
   • Location: "Minnesota"
     (screenshots for #3)
      
     
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4. I now reapply my search and a very management number of ducks appears – 32
5. More importantly, I quickly identify Mr. Bufflehead!
   (screenshots for #4 and #5)
    
   

This is just one example of why your knee jerk reaction when shopping for a tablet should be an iPad. I hope you can appreciate that even if you are not an expert bird watches, iBird Pro walks the user through an easy process which yields a positive identification. Thus, next time you'be able to know the answer to the question, what bird is that?

You may wish to see my other posts in this series of Google Nexus 10 Android Tablet Reviews.

1. Honeywell Minus iPad = Nexus 10
2. Nexus 10: In Depth Review
3. Northern Lights Alerts & Monitoring via the Nexus 10
4. Nexus 10: Follow Up Review
5. Creating True HDR Photos on your Android Tablet | Nexus 10