There are few sights as spectacular as the Northern Lights. The Aurora Photographer of the Year competition, run by travel photography blog Capture the Atlas, takes advantage of the dazzling effects of the Northern Lights.
This year, 25 breathtaking shots from around the world made it to the final round, and we've published a selection of them here. Each brings a special aspect to this unusual phenomenon caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with atmospheric gases.
As the sun's next peak in activity (known as the solar maximum) approaches in 2024, people are already able to catch glimpses of the aurora borealis over a wider area than usual in both the north and south. Next year's exhibition will be even more spectacular.
Many of the photos in the 2023 competition were taken in locations where the Northern Lights are rare, such as south Wales, and are captured in Matthew Brown's photography. Goreuadau's Goggled (Main image). The name translates to 'lights of the north' in Welsh and images show local landmark Paxton's Tower lit up. “It's rare to see the aurora borealis this far south,” Brown said. “For more than an hour, the horizon beyond the clouds cast shades of green and pink. But for one brief but magical moment, the sky burst
Source: www.newscientist.com