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Travel photography blog Capture the Atlas has published its annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year: a collection of the top 25 photos of the Northern Lights.
Here: The Point Betsie Lighthouse in Michigan photographed by Marybeth Kiczenski.
Photo: Marybeth Kiczenski / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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"The aurora forecast that night was very promising," said photographer Vincent Beudez, "but I didn't expect anything like that." He would have had to drive a few hours to find a place near Tromsø in Norway where it wasn't cloudy.
At around 3 a.m., a colorful spectacle took place that could also be seen with the naked eye.
Photo: Vincent Beudez / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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Many probably don't associate New Zealand with the Northern Lights at first - but the colorful dances in the sky can also be seen here.
At Taiari Beach in Otago, for example, as can be seen in the picture.
In the foreground the fine sand, in the background a sky that seems to be on fire.
The photographer called his work "Explosions of the Sky".
Photo: Kavan Chay / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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Even the fir trees are a spectacle, their branches twisting heavily from the snow.
The sky shines behind it - »an unbelievable spectacle«, said the photographer Nico Rinaldi.
He took the picture in Murmansk, Russia.
»I hope that peace will return soon and that we can reconnect with so many incredible people and landscapes on this planet.«
Photo: Nico Rinaldi / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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For a few days in the wintry months, the moon can hardly be seen over Canada.
In order to be able to take the picture, the photographer Rachel Jones Ross looked for such a night in which it should remain dark.
She caught that night – and was lucky, because glowing green veils swept over the Yukon Territory.
Photo: Rachel Jones Ross / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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A rainbow in the night - the Milky Way rising over Nugget Point Lighthouse on the south-eastern edge of New Zealand.
Actually, Douglas Thorne only wanted to photograph the Milky Way.
"But I was greeted by a surprise guest," he said, suddenly the sky had changed color.
"It reminds me that sometimes the best shots are unexpected."
Photo: Douglas Thorne / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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The photographer David Erichsen hiked through the night for two hours in order to be able to photograph the northern lights on the Castner Glacier in Alaska.
"Chasing the Northern Lights was always a mystical dream as a kid," he said.
Many attempts at the same ice cave were unsuccessful.
“What you don’t see in this shot are the many sub-zero nights I hiked to this cave and waited for a wisp of green to dance through that frozen window.”
Photo: David Erichsen / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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Giulio Cobianchi's goal was to photograph the double arc of the Milky Way and the auroras.
"I'd been planning this panorama for a number of years, and finally all the elements fell into place," he said.
He took the picture on the Lofoten in Norway.
Photo: Giulio Cobianchi / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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Although Denmark is in the north, you still need a bit of luck to see the Northern Lights here.
"But there's always hope for magic in the darkest months of the year," said Ruslan Merzlyakov.
He took the photograph in Nykøbing Mors, near where he lives.
»The happiness you feel when you see the sky in your hometown glow like this is unforgettable.«
Photo: Ruslan Merzlyakov / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022
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The Northern Lights season lasts from September to April in the northern hemisphere and from March to September in the southern hemisphere.
The best time to see and photograph the light is during the autumn and spring equinoxes, due to the alignment of the Earth's axis.
Luis Solano Pochet captured the light in Dyrhólaey, Iceland.
"I had to shoot a vertical panorama to capture the action as my 14mm lens wasn't far enough to capture the splendor of this aurora," he said.
Photo: Luis Solano Pochet / Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2022