Aurorae 2026

A small hut or chapel with a cross on the roof sits in a grassy landscape; the sky above is a striking mass of yellow and green aurorae framing the whole vista

Category winner

The Crown by Radoslav Sviretsov

"In moments like this, I feel nothing but gratitude for being in the right place at the right time. The aurora sighting unfolded during a particularly strong geomagnetic storm, an event that allowed us to witness the Northern Lights in a way rarely seen," says Radoslav.

"This small traditional Icelandic church lies between Keflavík and Reykjavík, far from light pollution, a place where the sky remains dark and truly alive."

Taken in Fúlipollur, Krýsuvíkurvegur, Hafnarfjordur, Iceland, 20 January 2026

A silvery river in the centre of the picture reflects the amazing green and pink aurorae and dark blue sky above. There are silhouettes of trees on the horizon

Runner-up

Aurora Between Two Continents by Phil Halper

"In November 2025, a multitude of powerful coronal mass ejections [CMEs, large eruptions of plasma from Sun’s corona] triggered severe geomagnetic storms that sent aurorae rippling far beyond their usual reach," explains Phil.

"With just one day’s notice, two friends and I decided to travel to Iceland to take the opportunity to see a powerful display of the Northern Lights. In this image I captured the lights dancing at Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park reflecting in the water between the two continental plates of America and Eurasia."

Taken in Kjósarhreppur, Capital Region, Iceland, 12 November 2025

A stunning photo of vertical streaks of bright green aurorae between expanses of blue sky and fluffy white clouds

Highly commended

On the Edge of Glory by MaryBeth Kiczenski

MaryBeth says, "Here, the aurora plays peek-a-boo among the moonlit clouds. This interplay between the terrestrial weather in the lower atmosphere and the aurora in the ionosphere [the upper part of Earth's atmosphere] shows that these two layers are not bound by borders.

"This is a single image exposure, highlighting the beauty of everything the sky offers. Moonlight and clouds are often overlooked when aurora chasing, but in the Arctic, they can provide a dreamlike quality that is unmatched."

Taken in Skibotn, Troms, Norway, 6 November 2025