Abisko night 2

The weather forecast seems to be very difficult around here. They predicted clouds and it is clear!

So time to climb up the mountain near Björkliden hotel to the aurora viewing point - picture of view in last post :P

Here is the night shot. The Milky Way is visible and there is a mix of aurora and skyglow near the horizon. The night sky brightness at zenith is 21.0 mags/arcsec^2 which is 1.7 times brighter than the reference of 21.6 mags/arcsec^2. (Milky way at zenith can be 21.4 mags/arcsec^2)

I drove around with road runner SQM (now working OK at the cold dry weather) and checked different places away from Abisko but it did not get much darker than 21.3 mas/arcsec^2. Lateron aurora activity became stronger and I cancelled measurements.

Aurora became so strong that it got visible at my guesthouse (compare to fog the night before).

Panorama taken at Abisko Guesthouse (processed with Sky Quality Camera, Euromix)

Did I mention it stayed cold?

What made me rather upset were the many unnecessary lamps installed being on all night. There is lit parking lot with 85lx (thats empty during the day already). Train station is lit with new LEDs 65lx. Thats of course light pollution but also just a waste of energy. Hardly anyone needs that light.

Lit empty parking lot. LED 80 lx (Abisko STF)

The "highlight" is a lit footpath connecting Abisko and Abisko STF etc. Seriously? The hikers that walk Kungsleden need a lit footpath to find their way back?

The good news is that the light levels of the old lamps is OK for some places. Like Björkliden has 5-10 lx old lamps. The bad news is that they will be replaced and then light levels will go up most likely. New LEDs score 30-80 lx in some places. But then there is the odd 200+ lx shop light failure.....

If you like pictures of lamps plus some lux values see below.....

These streetlamps appear as bright as the rest but are only below 10 lx (Björkliden)

Shop-light failure left is 220 lx right 140 lx (Björkliden)

Sodium lamp 10 lx (Björkliden)

LED 30 lx (Björkliden)

Well the sign is lit but the ground (snow) too. Snow is too deep to take lx measurement but ists definately too bright as it hurts in the eyes. (Björkliden)

Lamp for no reason at 60 lx: The only lamp lighting the highway at a 20 km stretc. Actually disturbing for drivers. Light next to it has motion sensor. (near Tornehamn)

No train for people goes here for hours but 60 lx on all night. There is no reason to cross the rails here - its actually forbidden and there is a tunnel. (Abisko STF station)

Crossroads are almost always lit. Here LED cometing with sodium lamp in the 40-55 lx class. (Abisko STF)