This year has been exceptional for witnessing the stunning Northern Lights.

One of nature’s most enchanting yet elusive phenomena, the vibrant greens and reds of the Northern Lights offered breathtaking displays throughout 2025.

The magic behind these captivating displays originates 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away on the sun’s surface.

Auroras result from charged particles emitted by the sun—known as solar wind—colliding with Earth’s atmosphere.

Earth’s magnetic field directs these particles into the atmosphere, resulting in collisions with nitrogen and oxygen, which causes them to emit light, leading to the spectacular phenomenon known as the Northern Lights.

The intensity of these light shows is dependent on solar activity.

Our sun operates on an approximately 11-year solar cycle, where periods of high and low activity occur.

During solar peaks, alongside the usual solar wind, massive plasma clouds, termed coronal mass ejections, frequently erupt.

The latest solar cycle peaked in October 2024, and the sun will remain active for the following year.

During solar maximums, activity is heightened, affecting the geographical visibility of the auroras.

Typically, auroras are confined to the aurora oval, a circular area around the poles at latitudes of 65 to 70 degrees.

Nevertheless, more vigorous solar storms can push the lights further south. This year, significant storms carried the Northern Lights to southern England and many parts of the U.S.

Although the Northern Lights, or Southern Lights, usually occur in remote locations or over uninhabited oceans, 2025 offered several opportunities to witness stunning displays from Australia and New Zealand.

All of this signifies that 2025 was a fantastic year not just for observing the Northern Lights but also for photographing them.

Visit Capture the Atlas for a curated selection of 25 incredible images for our annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition. Check them out below.

Lights & Ice – Tori Harp

Arctic Rain – Vincent Beudez

Essence of the Arctic Night – Giulio Cobianchi

aurora color

One remarkable aspect of the aurora borealis captured in photography is its vibrant color variety.

The colors are produced by atmospheric particles being excited by solar wind.

Green is the most prominent color commonly associated with the Northern Lights, generated by oxygen atoms at low altitudes up to about 240 km (150 miles).

At higher altitudes, oxygen behaves differently and emits red, the second most common color.

Dark purple and blue shades, derived from nitrogen molecules, are rare and observed during the most intense displays.

Are the Northern Lights dangerous?

The aurora itself is a stunning spectacle, so enjoy it worry-free!

However, the solar activity that creates the auroras can pose dangers in space.

For astronauts, radiation is a significant health hazard. If a powerful solar flare is forecasted, the crew on the International Space Station must take shelter in the most shielded part.

Satellites can also be affected by radiation, leading to hardware damage or complete operational failure.

In February 2022, 40 newly launched SpaceX Starlink satellites were lost due to increased drag on them after a solar event.

Fortunately, we are shielded from this radiation on Earth by our atmosphere and magnetic fields.

However, we should be cautious as these solar storms can disrupt communications and lead to surges in electrical grids.

Alone under a dancing sky – Nikola Vukotic

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