my first aurora

I’m from Brazil. In the tropics, we don’t get to see lights dancing across the night sky. So the aurora borealis and the aurora australis feel like phenomena so far removed from my reality that they almost seem surreal. I have lived in New York City since 2018, but have also not had the opportunity to see them in other parts of the USA or Canada.

Witnessing and photographing the aurora borealis was very high on my bucket list of landscape and nature experiences. My first encounter happened on the ferry from Bodø to Lofoten in Norway, where I spent a week chasing the northern lights. The archipelago is famous for its spectacular landscapes, but it also offers one of the best places in the world to watch the lights—when they appear and the sky is clear.

First night in Lofoten rewarded us with Aurora Borealis in the village of Sakrisøy

We chased the aurora for a whole week and were able to photograph it on four nights. The locations and conditions varied, but the last night brought a big display, with strong, clear coronas and curtains visible even to the naked eye. It lasted only a few seconds, but the memories will linger forever.

Aurora Borealis spectacle near the village of Napp, with dancing rays and burts visible to the naked eye. According to our guides, a night like that only happens 5% of the time.