Harp’s photo is one of 25 winners of the 2025 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition, organized by travel blog Capture the Atlas to honor images that capture the true beauty of the Northern Lights. And what a year it’s been, with the Sun, now at its solar maximum, spawning geomagnetic storms that have dazzled the skies.
You can see the full gallery here, but here are some of our favorites from the list.
“Frozen silence under the light”
The world appears to have stopped in this image by Nikki Born, who took this photo in Risitunturi National Park, Finland. The snowy landscape reflects light from the green sky, making the entire scene glow blue-green.
“Photographing the Northern Lights requires patience and perseverance,” Bourne said in a statement. “But when they finally appear, time stands still, and nature reminds you how wonderful our world can be.”
“Aurora Comet Lemon”
Throughout late October, Comet Lemmon was bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. To the north, the comet’s streaked tail coincides with the bright aurora.
“Luckily, I had my camera with me!” Petr Horelec remembered. “The comet and the aurora appeared in a kind of dance, giving us a wonderful show that I will always remember.”
“Fiordland Aurora and Lupine”
The sky and lupine flowers glow in uniform shade for this stunning panorama from Douglas Thorne, who stitched together six photographs taken at Cascade Creek in New Zealand.
“I spent a lot of time traveling around the area to find this creation, and in the end, it was worth it,” Thorne said.
“Northern Crown”
Mari Jaaskeläinen had a clear image of a bright, green spiral emerging just above the trees near her home in Pyhäjärvi, Finland. That said, he didn’t expect nature to give him that exact image. Except that it happened.
“During active nights, I always follow real-time solar wind data to get an idea of what’s yet to come,” she said in her comment. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when the auroral arc began to take exactly the shape I had only dreamed about for so long!”
“Arctic Rain”
This photograph by Vincent Baudez makes you feel as if you are standing inside a kaleidoscope. To capture this image, Budes waited patiently for a veil of green and red to open in the sky over Tromsø, Norway, which broke into shards as a substorm passed by.
“Corona Blast Aurora Geomagnetic Storm”
On March 21, a coronal mass ejection spawned a G2 geomagnetic storm, which also produced a rare burst of light blooms in the sky over Kirkjufell, Iceland. Photographer Roi Lev created the panorama by stitching together 21 frames.
“This image was taken during the March equinox, as a geomagnetic storm structure brought about a mesmerizing light show,” Lev explained. “With the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall in the foreground, this image is a dynamic representation of the broad auroral corona.”
“Alone under the dancing sky”
This year’s winning images are a good mix of planned and coincidental photographs. Nikola Vukotic’s entry, a photograph of Skagsenden Beach, Lofoten Islands, near the Arctic Circle, belonged to the latter category. Vukotic and his friends systematically encountered the emerging light on the beach.
“Moments like this remind us that nature doesn’t always follow our plans,” Vukotic said, “and the best photos often happen when we just stop, look, and let the world surprise us.
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