I took this incredible shot under the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis as they're also called. In my picture, two people stand together with the colorful sky behind them. The green and purple lights dancing in the sky make everything look magical. I wanted to capture this peaceful, remarkable moment in nature.
I went to this special place called the Telegrafbukta beach because its known for its incredible views of the Northern Lights. These lights usually appear in areas close to the North and South Poles. While taking this photo, I remembered what I learned about how these lights form. It's pretty cool - they happen when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere. Depending on which gases are hit and how high up they are, we see different colors. The greens and purples in my shot are pretty common.
In my photo, I included a lone tree on the left side to show how big and open the land is under the bright sky. I also caught some faint lights far away, probably from a town. I love how the calm water reflects the skylights, making everything look even more magical.
When I take pictures like this, I think about how beautiful and complex nature is. The Northern Lights remind me that we're connected to space in ways we can't always see. They only happen when solar activity is just right, and Earth's magnetic field guides the sun's particles to the polar regions. It's amazing that this light show starts millions of miles from the sun!
I find it interesting that people have always been curious about the Northern Lights. I've heard old stories about them from different cultures. Some Norse folks thought the lights came from special warriors'; shields, while Sami people believed they were the spirits of the dead. Now we know the science behind it, but seeing them in person, I can understand why they inspired many myths. So, when I took this picture, I wasn't just capturing a pretty sky. I felt like I was connecting to all the people from long ago who saw these lights and made up stories about them and the incredible forces of nature that make this happen. It reminded me how we're all connected to nature, to each other, and even to the sun and space beyond our planet.