The photo location is about a 15+ minute drive from my home, and much of the way there has me driving north into the direction of the aurora. As soon as I started heading north I was pointed directly at a distant thunderhead. I could not see how much clouds were there, and thought of turning around and going home, but then I thought well, if there was no aurora, I can shoot the thunderhead, which displayed bolts of lightning quite often.

I finally arrived, saw that Stan and Corey were already there, quickly set up my equipment, and started taking some shots. The aurora was indeed visible on both sides of the thunderhead (which was over Mason City at the time) about 120 miles away, and moving northeast, away from the viewing location. We really saw no individual bolts of lightning while photographing, but there was a lot of internal lightning in the thunderhead.

The 'W' of the constellation is visible above and slightle left of the thenderhead.

(05 May 2013 - 069)