Sunday, March 26, 2017

Northern Lights in Kiruna Lapland, Sweden — Aurora Borealis Astrophotography

The sight filled the northern sky; the immensity of it was scarcely conceivable.

As if from Heaven itself, great curtains of delicate light hung and trembled.

Pale green and rose-pink, and as transparent as the most fragile fabric,

and at the bottom edge a profound fiery crimson like the fires of Hell,

they swung and shimmered loosely with more grace than the most skillful dancer.

-- PHILIP PULLMAN, The Golden Compass

In March 2017, I traveled to Kiruna, Lapland, Sweden to photograph one of the most dramatic sky phenomena on Earth — the Aurora Borealis.

At the time, some astronomers predicted a decline in solar activity, raising questions about how a solar minimum might affect aurora visibility. Would weaker solar activity mean fewer Northern Lights? No one could say with certainty.

Today we know that prediction underestimated the strength of the current solar cycle. But standing under the Arctic sky in 2017, the question felt very real.

What Creates the Northern Lights?

Auroras form when charged particles from the Sun — carried by the solar wind — collide with Earth’s magnetosphere. Guided by magnetic field lines toward the polar regions, these particles interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere.

Green light (most common) — oxygen at ~100–150 km altitude
Red light — oxygen above ~200 km
Purple and pink hues — nitrogen interactions

The result is a dynamic curtain of light dancing across the polar sky — a direct visible consequence of solar activity.

Unlike deep-sky astrophotography, aurora photography requires speed and adaptability. The structure changes from minute to minute. Exposure settings must balance movement, brightness, and star visibility.

Green aurora borealis with bright red upper glow over Kiruna Lapland Sweden under Arctic night sky

Sweden Astrophotography Northern Lights

Aurora Borealis over snowy landscape in Kiruna Lapland with scattered Arctic clouds in the night sky

Sweden Astrophotography Aurora Borealis

Northern Lights above Kiruna Lapland landscape with Arctic horizon

Kiruna Lappland Northern Lights - Sweden Astrophotography

Cross ski trail sign under Northern Lights in Kiruna Lapland Sweden

Cross Ski Trail Sign and Northern Lights - Kiruma Lappland Astrophotography

Camera Setup

Camera: Canon 60Da
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Location: Kiruna, Swedish Lapland
Tripod: Stable Arctic ground setup

Panoramic view of Aurora Borealis over Kiruna Lapland Sweden

Panorama Northern Lights - Sweden Astrophotography Kiruna Lapland

Panorama Technical Notes

This panoramic image was captured using the following settings:

Camera: Canon EOS 60Da
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Focal Length: 16mm
Exposure: 20 seconds
Aperture: f/5.0
ISO: 5000

Unlike typical aurora photography where a wider aperture (f/2.8) is preferred, I chose f/5.0 to improve overall depth of field. In Arctic landscapes, balancing foreground sharpness with sky detail can be challenging, especially when nearby snow and terrain are part of the composition.

The aurora was bright enough to allow a smaller aperture without losing structure in the curtains of light.

An ISO of 5000 is relatively high and does introduce some noise. However, for a panoramic image viewed on a standard screen, the noise level is not distracting. The benefit was shorter exposure time and better capture of the dynamic aurora motion.

Based on field experience with the Canon 60Da and a 16mm lens on a fixed tripod, I know that exposures up to about 30 seconds can still keep stars reasonably sharp. However, to preserve both point-like stars and fine aurora structure, I limited the exposure to 20 seconds. This duration balances star sharpness with the dynamic motion of the light curtains.

Aurora photography often requires compromise — sharp foreground, moving sky, limited light, and extreme cold all influence exposure decisions.

Northern Lights as a Sky Phenomenon

Aurora photography sits at the intersection of astrophotography and atmospheric physics. It is not simply “night photography” — it is the visible interaction between the Sun and Earth’s magnetic shield.

Even during periods of lower solar activity, auroras do not disappear. While intensity and frequency vary across the solar cycle, geomagnetic storms and coronal mass ejections can still produce spectacular displays.

Under the Arctic sky, watching green curtains ripple above snow-covered landscapes, it becomes clear: the Northern Lights are not just a celestial spectacle — they are space weather made visible.

In the far north, beneath the polar sky, astrophotography becomes space physics in motion.

Related Astrophotography & Sky Phenomena Posts

These posts explore how solar activity and celestial light interact with Earth’s atmosphere — from auroras and airglow to eclipse phenomena and extreme dark skies.