The greatest show OVER Earth! The 25 most magical aurora images of 2020, from an incredible Antarctica display to a jaw-dropping spectacle captured above Michigan
- All 25 images have been selected to be part of the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year collection
- It is curated by blog Capture the Atlas, which judges pictures on image quality and the story behind the shot
- It said: 'The collection brings our universe closer so everyone can learn more about this natural show' Let it glow, let it glow, let it glow!
Here we present 25 of the best aurora pictures taken around in the world in 2020 - and they are sure to make your eyes light up.
They are part of the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year collection, which is curated each year by travel and photography blog Capture the Atlas.The incredible images were snapped by photographers in countries such as Norway, Iceland, Russia and the United States, where auroras are known as the Northern Lights or aurora borealis. The portfolio also contains stunning shots taken in Australia and Antarctica, where the phenomenon is called the Southern Lights or aurora australis.
Capture the Atlas said: 'The quality of the image, the story behind the shot, and the overall inspiration that the photograph can provide are the main factors for selecting the images every year. The collection not only helps other photographers who want to photograph the Northern Lights but also brings our universe closer so everyone can learn and discover more about this natural show.'
Scroll down and prepare to be dazzled.
This incredible image by Benjamin Eberhardt, and edited by Martin Heck, shows a 'strong and colourful aurora' above the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica. The photo is part of a longer 24-hour timelapse series. Benjamin said: 'The South Pole is probably one of the most remote and challenging environments to do photography, and it is strenuous for both humans and technology'
An aurora dazzles above a stone beach on Russia's Kola Peninsula in an eye-popping shot by Sergey Korolev. He said: 'I found this stone beach on the Barents Sea coast a few years ago. At the time, I was mesmerised by the shape of the boulders, which moved with the rumble of the ocean waves, as well as the steep mountains rising from the sea. I tried to shoot the aurora here for a long time, and one day, I got lucky and captured this image'
Vibrant Northern Lights are reflected in a glacier lagoon in Jokulsarlon, Iceland, in a beautiful image taken by Agnieszka Mrowka. She said: 'It was late September 2020 and finally the perfect conditions for the Northern Lights came together. It was a fierce and peaceful night to remember'
A jaw-dropping image of the Northern Lights dancing above snow-covered spruce trees in Finnish Lapland. The photographer behind the image is Petri Puurunen, who said: 'The half-moon was illuminating the scenery, so the conditions were nearly perfect. While wandering around the area and searching for compositions, the aurora was slowly climbing up to the sky, fading away just 10 minutes later. I managed to get a couple of decent photos'
A beautiful scene in Norway's Lofoten Islands captured by José Antonio Mateos Fajardo. He said: 'At first, the aurora seemed like a faint cloud changing its colours from yellow to lime. After some test shots, the faint cloud had turned into a big aurora and the landscape was magical, with the moon illuminating the mountains'
This colourful display was snapped in Iceland by Filip Hrebenda. He explained: 'I was really tired after a long day of travelling across Iceland and shooting the sunset in the northern part of the country. Despite the challenges, I managed to pull off a very special aurora image. It doesn’t matter how tired you are, when the aurora shows up, euphoria always wins over fatigue!'
On the left is an incredible image of an aurora above Norway's Lofoten Islands by Roksolyana Hilevych when temperatures were reaching a chilly -20C. She said: 'It was probably one of the best shows of watching and photographing the Northern Lights I’ve ever experienced.' On the right, an aurora appears almost like flames in the sky in a striking shot by Risto Leskinen. He captured the incredible scene in Pallas-Yllas National Park in Finnish Lapland. He noted: 'It was freezing cold, but flames like these make you forget the temperature'
A dazzling green sky above the wreckage of a crashed plane in Solheimasandur, Iceland, captured by John Weatherby. He said: 'I love chasing the Northern Lights because it is always a new experience. No two auroras are the same. The thrill is the chase. The forecast could call for nothing, but then, out of nowhere, it’s amazing'
The Northern Lights dazzle the Icelandic landscape in a mystical shot by Virginia Yllera, who snapped the image on a cold and windy night. She explained: 'The shooting conditions were challenging, as I constantly had to wipe out the lens and make sure that the composition and exposure were correct. Finally, the lights exploded and all the effort paid off'
In this sublime image taken in Tasmania, Ben Maze managed to snap a breathtaking aurora - and two other phenomena. He explained: 'Captured in this image is a trifecta of astronomical phenomena that made for some of the best astro-photography conditions one can witness in Australia, namely, the setting Milky Way galactic core, zodiacal light, and of course, the elusive aurora australis. On top of this, a sparkling display of oceanic bioluminescence adorned the crashing waves, adding the cherry on top of what was already a breathtaking experience'
A volcanic black sand beach surrounded by large dunes in Iceland shines under the Northern Lights. The glorious shot was snapped by Nico Rinaldi, who said: 'After spending several hours observing the sky, around 1am the clouds moved away, and the sky was already covered by the Northern Lights. Full of euphoria, I went to the spot I liked and took a series of photographs of this unique natural show!'
A magical scene in a forest in Saskatchewan, Canada, captured by Jeanine Holowatuik, who said the aurora 'came out of nowhere'. She added: 'The show was strong, and the lights were visible in every direction at its peak, which doesn’t happen often at my latitude. It was a warm spring evening and I captured the lights dancing right until the morning light, a night I’ll never forget!'
Northern Lights are reflected in glowing icicles in Norway's Lofoten Islands in an amazing snap by Dennis Hellwig
Iurie Belegurschi snapped this vibrant aurora image in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland, while his car was stuck in the snow. He said: 'My car got stuck in the snow and when I was waiting for help, the Northern Lights finally showed up and danced for about 10 minutes. I was lucky to get stuck next to this pond and take this shot with the aurora reflected on the water'
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