Displays of the aurora borealis are always unpredictable and I am very fortunate to have seen them many times, but on this particular night in northern Norway the northern lights were especially active. Shortly after dark and just as we arrived onto the remote beach, arcs of green light began to stretch across the Arctic sky, gradually intensifying into sweeping bands that moved and twisted above the snow-covered mountains along the coastline.
What made the experience particularly memorable was how long the display lasted. For several hours the aurora danced across the sky, constantly shifting in shape and brightness. Just as it seemed the activity was beginning to fade, the lights would surge again, sending fresh ribbons of emerald green and purple fringes of light sweeping overhead and reflecting across the wet sand along the shoreline.
Standing on the quiet Arctic beach beneath a clear, star-filled sky, it was one of those rare nights where the northern lights seemed to have endless energy. The reflections in the wet sand mirrored the movement above, briefly linking sea, sky and landscape in a spectacular natural display.
Location: Uttakleiv Beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway