Miss Aurora

Well, pictures say more (or less) than uncertain number of words.....Note a mark of flaming fire or auroral bands in her forehead. ;-)

First of all, unlike normal Aurora Borealis or Aurora Australis, her colors remain exactly the same even during very low or high activity. Ordinary display starts usually with a series of yawns and ominous looking eye balling, which are always followed by some body stretching. After that Aurora seems to move towards the kitchen and back. Then usually the activity seems to pick up gradually, so that at first Aurora can be seen near most small and moveable (and noise making) objects in the floor or near it. At this stage Aurora's isn't yet moving very fast but still too fast for most photographers....during the next few moments the activity often starts to pick up rather quickly and sometimes you almost can't see is there only one Aurora on the move or if there is a group of them on the move at the same time. This is rather "dangerous" time to cross the floor and such activity is often stopped by sudden retreat or loud "OUCH" and then rather loud "NO (in Finnish)" sounds...after legion of small and sharp claws and teeth are buried in one's leg. I think this time of moderately high activity is the dominant and the most long lasting time of the display, but is often completely overshadowed by the rather short but staggering peak of the storm.
This stage is charactiriced by VERY fast movent, when Aurora moves like an lost furry cruise missile all around the place with lightning speed and in many fabulous forms. At this point movements are not only horizontal but also highly vertical and usually it is those vertical movements, which bring the most impressive forms. Infact the movements in this stage are often so fast that they even seem to compromise extremely local nature of the phenomenon. Like , you are almost sure you just saw an furry cruise missile flying to the kitchen, but immediately it flyes out of the lobby or bathroom or you are almost sure that Aurora is lurking behind the sofa, but immediately a furry flash of lightning strucks from under the bed! So you can imagine that photographing this fast movement ' is not the most easiest thing in the world and for sure it's not the most safest thing for equipment and else. Also at this stage those small and noise making object on the floor and elsewhere seem to "grow"...the noise makes you think that those object were not so small after all.

Also it is important to mention that, it is possible the observe most quiet time Auroral forms also in during the times of VERY high activity, but the difference is in duration and facial expression. During quiet times the duration of single Auroral form can be very long and the facial expression is usually rather pieceful, while in contrary during high activity the duration of single Auroral form can be VERY short and the facial expression of Aurora can be pretty fierce. Which also makes it very easy to understand why so many people in example. middle ages thought that Auroras are something fierce and not good. Which is by the way sad, because if they had been able the admire these fabulous things, they would have been able to enjoy the infinite ballet of nature and it's astounding beauty.

Sometimes it is also said that auroras would follow coastlines ( See article ) and I think Aurora does the same in some way.... Very often when I am example brushing my teeth or washing my hands in bathroom. Aurora moves in to the room, jumps to the chair next to bathtub, jumps to the edge of the bathtub (also an edge of the water sometimes), walks towards to the washbowl and finally, jumps to the edge of washbowl. After that Aurora just sits there near the edge of water and looks at me and wonders where all the water is going. ;-)

One interesting note is that so far i have found an sleeping Aurora example from my bed, on and behind the sofa, on my neck and from closet...I have never found Aurora Borealis from my closet!

According to my not very scientific observations, the duration of the high activity (or storm) is usually maybe from few minutes to over an hour and the peak the activity doesn't usually last more than couple of ten minutes at max. While the quiet phases can last up to several hours at max, but they can be also rather short AND occur even during a storm conditions....Maybe those short quiet periods within an storm are somekind recharging time for her batteries and time to plan the "next attack"....maybe.

About timing...anykind of activity can happens at any time of the day, but so far the most intense periods have maybe occured at night, from mid night to 3 AM. It's also important to mention that this is also the most quiet time the "day", so everything which happens at that time can seem more intense than what it really is.

Still, according to my knowledge there seems to be somewhat lot activity everyday and it is not seasonal as with Aurora Borealis example...Well, lot's of data needs to be collected before one can draw any good conclusions...

Note: I had digicam only couple of days and during that time i didn't manage to catch very many forms...:-(

Quiet Time Swirl	High activity Beam???	Quiet Time...Band

Well, I am almost sure that I have heard an Aurora many many many times and if I haven't, then.....I just can't trust my senses at all! According to my studies there is at least two group of Auroral sounds, which are: 1. the sounds which seem to originate from Aurora herself AND 2. the sounds which seem to occur when Aurora is moving on a certain kind of surface in certain manner and speed. So, i see that this kind of sounds are produced in interaction of Aurora and some particular kind of surface.

First Group: This group includes at least two subgoups: 1. sounds which do occur mostly when her mouth is open AND 2. sounds which seem not to reguire anykind mouth opening at all. Mostly both of these sounds are observed during little more quiet phases. Sounds from the 1st subgroup seem to be most loudest at the kitchen or during the times when I try to eat something good (anywhere) and don't give that same food to her....This particular subgroup includes many different sounds from loud "meow" to many short and quiet voices. While the sound of the second subgroup sounds like "purrrrr" and it can be heard most often during petting or just when one looks at her or touches her.

Second Group: Sounds from this subgroup seem to occur mostly during moderate to very high activity and infact there seems to be somekind of correlation between intensity of the activity and loudness of the sounds. High intensity seems to bring also loud sounds. So far i have heard example at least these sounds: "rattling" (in washbowl, in bathtub, occasionally on the tables and often in the closet), "hissing" (on the floor during high to very high activity and near the papers), "crackling" (on, in and below the sofa and the bed...ARRRGGGHH) and loud to somewhat quiet "din" (everywhere.)

One very interesting note is, that it seems that it is infact possible influence the Aurora with sound....examplea loud NO often stops her for a...1/100 second and a rustle and a sound of water draws her closer...

DEFINITELY YES!...at least in some degree occasionally. ;-) This happens especially at night if one tries sleep, but just can't, because thousands of little claws and teeth (at least it feels like thousands) attacks one's every body part which is not tighly covered with coverlet. OR if one hopes to live just a "normal" quiet life in the flat at night, BUT that furry cruise missile flyes erratically around the flat like a loose air balloon and makes awful noise...Also, one thing which highly stressful is that, if you try to eat example tuna or smoked fish, but her keen eyes and hungry mouth follow you everywhere....they lurk behind your shoulder, they try to get on the table from left and right and everywhere.

Definitely yes...or at least she touches the floor... Usually after her sleep she walks to the kitchen or toilet and sometimes she even lays on the floor. Also I am pretty sure that if I would take her outdoors and drop her to the ground....she would touch the actual ground...

Hmmm....right now she occurs in a third floor flat in Toijala, Finland few meters above "the ground" and seems very "local" to me... Although most Aurora look alike phenomenon what I have seen during my life seem to expand or grow when get older.....They also seem to grow if they are outdoors during a cold or if they try to scare something. While on the other hand they also seem to become smaller when wet. Still after all, I think Aurora and others of her kind are very local in their appearance.

I guess Aurora is formed exactly the same way as all other cats...and to keep them active and healthy they need example care, luck, meaningful doing, water and regular NME's (Nutritious Mass Ejection) to the foodbowl. Without those things there won't be any displays...

Aurora cats Spock and Jynx from the Netherlands.