Crown of Color

As noted by the photographer “On the night of March 23/24, 2001, the heavens over Fairbanks, Alaska lit up with the most spectacular of auroral displays: a corona. A corona occurs when an auroral curtain appears at the magnetic zenith―which lies nearly overhead in Fairbanks―and viewers look up one of its long rays. This stunning auroral form can appear to boil with motion, its colors can range across the entire spectrum and, when bright, it can easily cast a shadow. As beautiful as a still image may be, nothing can adequately capture the magnificence of actually witnessing an auroral corona first-hand.”