Narratives of North

NARRATIVES OF NORTH

01 CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE AURORA BOREALIS. MAKE THE PROXIMITY OF SCOTLAND TO THE ARCTIC MORE PRESENT IN THE HOME AND REVEAL NEW WAYS TO EXPERIENCE THE PHENOMENA.

STORY 1.1

The aurora borealis is a phenomena that we associate with the North. It has often been romanticised and many people aspire to witness the northern lights.

What many people don’t realise is that the aurora can be seen in Scotland, given a suitably dark night sky and clear weather conditions. The display often appears to the North, and very rarely directly overhead. Witnessing the aurora in Scotland is a rare and spiritual experience as described by those who revere it, making Scotland feel on the edge of ‘North’.

What if there were a way for more people in Scotland to experience the awe of the aurora from their own homes, connecting them with the other-worldliness associated with the phenomena and enabling them to participate in the presence of the aurora over their heads, rather than in the distant seeming Arctic?

What if there were a radio type device, the frequency of which is determined by the proximity of the auroral activity overhead? On a day with little geomagnetic activity, the radio might remain silent. If there is distant activity, in the far North, the radio might pick up frequencies from the Arctic, perhaps a Finnish or Greenlandish radio station. The foreign voices blend into the background, a subtle reminder of the Arctic. If the geomagnetic activity is strong, and overhead, the radio will catch more local radio frequencies. The phasing in of comprehension of the language spoken on the radio alerts the listener to the presence of the Aurora overhead.

The radio would become a gauge, an alternative way of measuring the proximity of auroral activity and associating it with an Arctic geography.

STORY 1.2

For many the Aurora is a rare and unpredictable event, as in Scotland a specific sequence of conditions need to align in order for it to be visible to the naked eye. These conditions include a period of time following a solar storm, a certain level of darkness after sunset and clear weather conditions. However some people have developed devices, conditions and communities to increase their chances of seeing the lights. Ranging in degrees of rationality, they might use Aurora forecast websites or receive twitter alerts to know when solar storm particles are heading towards earth. In combination with weather forecasts a person may be able to predict when they stand the optimal chance of seeing the aurora in Scotland.

The more extreme aurora hunter may refer to data from the ‘ACE’ spacecraft which monitors the matter ejected from the sun and heading to Earth, as well as other interplanetary medium. Receiving data from such a monitor enables the enthusiast to prepare for the aurora and know when it might be visible with some degree of accuracy. When the conditions look favourable some people go to quite extreme lengths to watch the aurora, driving long distances to reach a dark enough location, or where the sky is clearest.

Using data collected from the various measuring devices, what if it were possible to make the possibility of an aurora occurring more prominent in the home? What if there were a device that could count down the time lapsed since a solar storm, provide a light meter reading and indicate the direction where the sky might be clearest?

If this device could measure and visualise the possibility of an aurora in the sky local to the home, the inhabitants of the home would become more aware of its presence and the chance of witnessing it would be increased. Do they plan activities to await and capture the aurora together? Do household discussions arise over the recent behaviour of the device?

STORY 1.3

The aurora borealis is caused by highly charged particles interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere during a solar storm. When this happens during hours of darkness the ‘northern lights’ are visible near the Earth’s magnetic poles.

Due to the focus on capturing the Aurora visually, there is a strong sense of seasonality in the habits of those who endeavour to see the Aurora. Once the nights become shorter in May, the ‘season’ comes to an end and people focus on other phenomena such as searching for noctilucent clouds.

However the interaction between the solar storm and the atmosphere might happen at any time of day.

What if there were a way to experience the other-worldliness of the geomagnetic solar storm during daylight hours or in light polluted urban areas?

What if there were a device that could make the presence of geomagnetic waves high up in the earth’s atmosphere audible in the home? While not visually spectacular like the northern lights, the sounds produced by the interaction of solar particles and the earth’s atmosphere is a highly immersive experience, this could be used to make the listener more aware of the proximity of Scotland to the Earth’s northern magnetic pole.

Does the device remain on as a subtle background noise to daily life? Or does it suddenly, violently blare out noise when the activity is most active? At what point do the sounds become irritating and at what point does the listener take pleasure in the aurora’s presence? This device would close the sense of distance between the far North and Scotland, by bringing presence the aurora into the domestic environment.

STORY 1.4

People who capture the aurora borealis in Scotland like to share images of the event using social media or blogs. Small communities form around people who are fascinated by the phenomena and expertise is shared on how to best view, and capture it. Media often depicts the aurora in a spectacular way using techniques such as long exposure photography or time-lapse film. This exaggerates the image of the aurora in people’s minds and fuels their desire to see them in real life. The public sharing of auroral sightings can attract a large following and encourage people to travel far and wide in the belief that they may be able to experience the Northern Lights.

What if there were a way for people living in areas of Scotland to broadcast the Aurora from their location, attracting interest from people wishing to view the spectacle? What if there were a device that could live capture the sound and light produced by the electromagnetic waves of the aurora in different locations around Scotland? Listeners would be able to ‘tune in’ and detect which location was producing the most intense auroral chorus, then flock to that location to try and witness the revered event.

This device would act to redistribute touristic opportunity across Scotland.

Those who live in rural and peripheral areas, where the aurora is more likely to be seen, might benefit from increased tourism from the publicising of the aurora’s presence. Would new jobs arise from the need to have people to ‘capture’ these sound-scapes? How is this taken advantage of by peripheral communities?

STORY 1.5

Aurora watching can be a tiring hobby for some, with the season lasting for months. During the winter these individuals may experience sleep loss and even exhaustion due to long nights awaiting the phenomena.

Some people try to devise devices to capture the image of the lights remotely through the use of time-lapse cameras, for example. However waiting and spending time outdoors in the darkness is an important part of the aurora watcher’s experience. Anticipation builds and the lights become even more revered.

What if there were a way to add to the suspense of the wait for an aurora? What if there were a device that acts as a portable radio and that receives the very low frequency waves that the solar matter emits as it passes over the earth’s atmosphere? The aurora watcher could take the portable device out with them on a hunt, and use an aerial to detect the electromagnetic signals, which they listen to through headphones. As the watcher waits, they may hear signs of increased auroral activity such as ‘whistlers’. At this time they know to begin scanning the sky for signs of the northern lights.

The device would enhance the experience of the waiting watcher, creating additional suspense through the sounds of the approaching lights. Does the watcher walk around the hillside to determine the direction of the aurora, using the device like a divinator? Or do they sit quietly listening, whiling away the time until the lights appear?