Giant Crystals and Airglow

From the photographer: “I’ve red about giant crystals of feldspar and small red gemstones of garnet in the rocks by the east coast of Sweden and really wanted to see/photograph them. For 1.9 billion years ago, there were explosive volcanoes there that spewed ash and lava over a shallow sea that covered the area. Early forms of life, microorganisms, lived on the seabed, which together built up limestone layers. Iron precipitated in the limestone and layers of iron ore formed, something that is common throughout Bergslagen. Deep below the volcanoes, large magma chambers have solidified into the rocks diorite and gabbro.

After a couple of hours of driving, I arrived at the port that was supposed to be near the place with the crystals. Then how to find them was another question. But I had looked at Google Maps and saw a trail that I could take and then turn off towards the coast. After a rather sweaty walk with heavy equipment, I was able to locate the outcrops where the crystals would be. a beautiful place with the sea right on the horizon. When darkness fell, I could see a nice starry sky with noticeable airglow, faint northern lights in the north and the Milky Way. After searching for the crystals with a headlamp in the dark for a couple of hours I finally found them and solved them with the UV lamp and the crystals fluorescent red in the dark – beautiful!!”