In Green Company: Aurora over Norway

Explanation: Raise your arms if you see an aurora. With those instructions, two nights went by with, well, clouds -- mostly. On the third night of returning to same peaks, though, the sky not only cleared up but lit up with a spectacular auroral display . Arms went high in the air, patience and experience paid off , and the creative featured image was captured as a composite from three separate exposures. The setting is a summit of the Austnesfjorden (a fjord ) close to the town of Svolvear on the Lofoten islands in northern Norway . The year was 2014. This year, our Sun is just passing solar maximum , the peak in its 11-year surface activity cycle . As expected, some spectacular auroras have recently resulted .

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