Seeing the polar aurora is one of the most fascinating spectacles offered by Mother Nature. The appearance of green bands in the night sky is a unique, almost unreal moment. In a matter of seconds, everything can be gone. Long associated with legends and beliefs, the polar lights have a scientific explanation. Caused by the collision between particles projected by the sun into space and the upper atmosphere, the northern lights occur in regions near the north poles. The auroras australis form at southern latitudes.
The rest after this ad
The photography blog “Capture the Atlas” usually presents the 25 most beautiful photos of polar auroras during its “Northern Lights Photographer of the Year” competition. The season for these natural phenomena takes place from September to April in the northern hemisphere and from March to September in the southern hemisphere. In the selection, we can contemplate photos immortalized from the four corners of the world: United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland and even France.
The rest after this ad
Frenchman Julien Looten chosen
Julien Looten's photo is among the 25 most beautiful aurora photographs of the year. The French astrophotographer, originally from the North, said it was “an immense privilege” to see his photo “featured alongside exceptional images taken by photographers from around the world”. “To immortalize the geomagnetic storm of May, I went to the cliffs of Étretat, one of the most emblematic landscapes in France. This panorama, composed of around twenty images, captures a 180° field of view around the auroral oval. If you look closely, you can even see part of the Milky Way in the upper right corner,” he detailed.
France
