Colors of Lofoten

Aurora Borealis appears above Lofoten Islands in northern Norway. As noted by the photographer “At latitude 69 degrees I was well inside the Arctic region. It was a crystal clear night in Lofoten, quite rare in autumn. The Moon was shining on the calm waters of the Norwegian Sea, sinking through fantastic fjord structure of the area. I was suddenly surprised by moving rays toward north. It was not a major aurora activity but the scene was spectacular.” Aurora is produced by the collision of charged particles from Earth’s magnetosphere, mostly electrons but also protons and heavier particles, with atoms and molecules of Earth’s atmosphere (at altitudes above 80 km). The particles originate from the Sun and reach the Earth in the stream of solar wind.