Here are 11 stunning photos of the Northern Lights for 2024 that are truly mesmerizing and impossible to look away from.
At the annual "Northern Lights Photographer of the Year" contest, organized by Capture the Atlas, the best photographs have been selected. The list features 11 stunning images.
As writes Popular Science, in 2024, the Sun reached the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. Due to geomagnetic storms, the skies in many parts of the Earth were illuminated by powerful auroras.
"Carpe Diem". Crater Lake National Park, USA
3 Photographer Adrian Kormy traveled to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. He set up his camera at the southern end of the lake and captured a vibrant shot of the celestial light display.
"Aurora in Inferno". Asturias, Spain
4 Eden Saches from Spain photographed the aurora in Asturias. He was only able to do this on the second night when a solar storm occurred.
"In the Rays of Solar Wind". Rybačiy Island, Russia
5 Rybačiy Island, where this photo was taken by Sergey Korolev, is located on the northern edge of the Kola Peninsula. It is a unique natural area filled with fascinating spots featuring numerous rocky beaches and uniquely shaped cliffs.
"African Savannah Under the Lights of the Southern Aurora". Spitzkoppe, Namibia.
6 Photographer Egor Goryachev captured the Milky Way appearing amidst the aurora, resembling fire over the rocky terrain. The glow persisted throughout the night as the Milky Way moved westward, forming a morning arc. The southern sky was aglow with red and orange hues, while the Milky Way rose through the vibrant shades.
"Heavenly Fire". Aoraki, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
7 Tom Ray photographed the Milky Way arching over the stunning landscape of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park during a rare geomagnetic storm in May 2024. The image features a rare SAR (Stable Auroral Red) arc, an atmospheric phenomenon complementing the spectacle, alongside the glow of billions of stars in the Milky Way.
"Cosmic Explosion". Istria, Croatia
8 Uros Fink captured a panorama featuring the Cape Marlera lighthouse, built in 1880 at the southeastern tip of the Istrian Peninsula. A pink aurora glows behind the mountains.
"Aurora Australis". Patagonian Fjords, Chile
9 Mark Adamus photographed the aurora in Patagonia on the night of May 10, 2024, during a magnetic storm.
"Magic of the North". Iceland
0 Josh Bimz had dreamed of capturing this shot for years, and this year everything came together perfectly. He managed to photograph a vertical panorama precisely when volcanic smoke and ash shifted aside.
"Devil's Lights". Wyoming, USA
1 This image was taken by Forest Barkdoll-Vail at Devil's Tower in Wyoming.
"Tulondo Lake. Aurora". Tulondo Lake, Australia
2 In Bailey Farley's photograph, a panorama of crimson light from the aurora can be seen over the lake with dead trees. The photo was taken early in the morning at Tulondo Lake (Australia).
"Sky and Ice". Aspiring National Park, New Zealand.
3 Photographer Henry Freyks took the opportunity to climb the ice cliffs under the glow of the aurora. According to him, at that moment, the sky seemed to shift and vanished into the shimmering red rays stretching from south to north.
Previously, "Telegraph" reported that polar explorers at the "Akademik Vernadsky" station again witnessed the southern aurora. This is the second occurrence this year that our researchers managed to observe this rare phenomenon.