Every year people flock to see nature’s most magnificent neon light show The Northern Lights.
Also known as the Aurora Borealis, this breathtaking show takes place when solar particles collide with atmospheric gases and produce this astonishing neon display.
The best times of year to see the lights are between late August and early April and can be spotted in those countries closer to the Arctic Circle such as Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
But most people would agree that this fascinating light show is best seen in the skies over Iceland.
Icelandic photographer Hallgrimur P. Helgason is no stranger to the mind-blowing shapes the Northern Lights can create in the sky.
But last year he captured an image that was particularly breathtaking – the Northern Lights in the shape and profile of a large bird with incredible wings, and people have said it looks like a phoenix.
The 64-year-old professional photographer captured the profile during a tour of Kaldarsel, Iceland, and posted them on his Facebook page.
“It’s really a thrill shooting the aurora, especially when they are so playful like they were that night. I have to admit that I always get an adrenaline kick when the lights burst out like that – that particular shot was the top one of the night,” he said, according to Evolve.
Hallgrimur has been capturing images from this amazing light show for many years but this is arguably the most astonishing.
After posting the image on Facebook one person asked: “Do you always get this kind of northern lights?”
To which Hallgrimur replied: “They are fairly common, but not like this.”
Inspired by the Roman goddess of the dawn Aurora, the auroras have different meanings in different countries.
In Norse mythology, the armor of the Valkyrior, female warriors who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live, “sheds a strange flickering light, which flashes up over the northern skies, making what Men call the ‘aurora borealis’, or ‘Northern Lights’ “.
To be able to capture the true beauty of this amazing light show is remarkable. What a talented photographer.
Please share Hallgrimur’s images of one of Mother Nature’s greatest creations with your friends and family.
