25 astounding images from the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025
25 astounding images from the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year 2025
Capture the Atlas share their favourite images of the aurora borealis and aurora australis from 2025.
I originally found this ice cave, called a moulin, 8 months prior to setting up this shot in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Glaciers are a very dynamic environment, so I kept going back to monitor the changes of this moulin over the 8-month period. As the opening of the cave formed, I envisioned setting up a night shot with my friend abseiling down the mouth of the cave with New Zealand’s amazing starry sky in the background. One magical night, everything finally came together! To my surprise, the Aurora Australis also lit up the sky. I managed to capture my friend’s silhouette perfectly placed in the center of the cave’s opening, and I love how the pinky tones of the aurora contrast with the icy colors of the cave. This dream shot ended up coming out better than I had originally envisioned, and I had a great night with my friends exploring the glacier! Photo by Tori Harp
Travel photography blog Capture the Atlas has selected its 25 best aurora images of the year, showcasing the work of photographers from around the world.
This year’s selection features aurora borealis and australis images from both hemispheres, from polar regions to more unexpected locations, such as the Ceredigion coast of Wales.
The release of these images is timed to coincide with the peak of the northern lights season, celebrating the incredible beauty of this amazing natural phenomenon.
Capture the Atlas is a travel and photography blog dedicated to helping others plan their trips and improve their photography skills. The site focuses on landscape and astrophotography, offering detailed guides, tutorials and inspiration for photographers of all levels.
An otherworldly Northern Lights display on the rugged Ceredigion coast of West Wales, United Kingdom. The village of Llangrannog is not known for its celestial displays; it is better known for its beach, dramatic cliffs and the statue of St. Crannog, who stands watch over the shoreline. Because sightings of the aurora in this part of Wales are so uncommon, many elements (preparation, great timing, clear skies and a bit of luck) are required to capture an image like this. Photo by Mathew Browne/Capture The Atlas
Pyhäjärvi, Finland
A bright green spiral-shaped aurora in the northern sky, just above the trees on the shore of Lake Pyhäjärvi. Photo by Mari Jääskeläinen/Capture The Atlas
Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
A friend of the photographer abseils down the mouth of an ice cave, with New Zealand’s amazing starry sky in the background. The aurora australis lights up the sky in this amazing image, where many elements have coincided. Photo by Tori Harp/Capture The Atlas
Skógafoss, Iceland
An aurora borealis unfolds in perfectly layered arcs, painting the entire valley with shades of emerald while a waterfall echoes under the glow. The reflection on the frozen shallows completed the symmetry, making the whole landscape look like a portal to another world. Photo by Victor Lima/Capture The Atlas
Tromso, Norway
An auroral corona photographed on 29 October 2025, near Tromso, Norway. A few seconds before this scene was captured, there was a 'wall' containing coloured layers – green and red – not uncommon during a substorm. But it suddenly became unstructured when a dancing corona appeared above it. Photo by Vincent Beudez/Capture The Atlas
The Otways, Victoria, Australia
This image was captured on New Year’s Day above a campsite in the Otways of Victoria. Ribbons of rose, violet and green shimmer, visible even to the naked eye. Photo by Sara Aurorae/Capture The Atlas
Skagsanden Beach, Lofoten Islands, Arctic Circle
This photograph was taken on Skagsanden Beach in the Lofoten Islands – a Norwegian archipelago near the Arctic Circle. The aurora dances in shades of green and red, while the beach is almost empty – save for a friend of the photographer. Photo by Nikola Vukotic/Capture The Atlas
Türisalu, Estonia
An aurora photographed above a rocky beach in Estonia. At first, it was just a low green arc, but it quickly erupted into vertical curtains of lime and rare magenta. The shoreline rocks have been illuminated with a strong UV light torch, which made the minerals pop and added the surreal glow you see in the image. Photo by Andres Papp/Capture The Atlas
Lapland, Finland
The beautiful image of an aurora was captured in Lapland, Finland, on 19 February 2025. The small cabin provides a cosy element to an otherwise frozen landscape and adds some visual interest. Photo by Marina Prol/Capture The Atlas
Godafoss, Iceland
An aurora seen above Godafoss, Iceland. Godafoss means 'the waterfall of the gods', and this image demonstrates why this waterfall is considered to be one of the most impressive in the country. Photo by Martin Giraud/Capture The Atlas
Ketchum, Idaho, USA
This aurora image is powered by the arrival of a large coronal mass ejection (CME), which produces some amazing colours. CMEs are a primary cause of significant aurora displays, and serve as an excellent catalyst for the aurora to be observed in lower latitudes, particularly during substorms, which are brief 'bursts' of heightened auroral activity. Photo by Travis D. Amick/Capture The Atlas
Eystrahorn, Iceland
A stunning panorama photographed in Eystrahorn, Iceland. The quickly moving auroras and the reflections they produce make images like this one quite difficult to capture in a still image. Photo by Pablo Ruiz/Capture The Atlas
Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia
The sea stacks of Gog and Magog feature prominently in this amazing aurora image, captured on the south coast of Australia. These incredible sea stacks are around 40 metres in height. Photo by Jeff Cullen/Capture The Atlas
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
A high-latitude aurora, with an arc slowly moving toward the equator and rising overhead. The aurora’s charged particles travel along Earth’s magnetic field lines, which aren’t always fixed. In this case, a geomagnetic storm had them twisting, bending, and oscillating across the sky. The lights formed an impressive aerial spiral that is reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. Photo by Marc Rassel/Capture The Atlas
Hudson Bay, Canada
A fantastic aerial image of an aurora captured by a pilot flying at an altitude of 10,668m (35,000 feet) over Hudson Bay, Canada. Above a silent sea of clouds, cocooned within a fragile shell of metal, the pilot witnesses something extraordinary. Curtains of light dance across the heavens, painting the darkness with vivid greens and purples. Photo by Ralf Rohner/Capture The Atlas
Arctic Circle, Greenland
This lake, deep in the Arctic Circle, is usually covered in snow in February, when this image was taken. However, here there is less snow than normal, revealing the incredible structures left in the ice after it has frozen. The lake becomes frozen solid by mid-winter, making it safe to walk on any part of the lake due to the thickness of the ice sheet. Here, a small band of colourful aurora lights dance across the sky, displaying vibrant purples and greens. Photo by Ollie Taylor/Capture The Atlas
Riisitunturi National Park, Finland
The famous frozen trees of Riisitunturi are photographed beneath the northern lights in this stunning image captured in March 2025. Photo by Nikki Born/Capture The Atlas
Skaulo, Sweden
A spectacular shot of the comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) coinciding with an aurora borealis display above the waters of Suotojärvi Lake, Sweden. This image was captured on the night of 24 October 2025. Photo by Petr Horalek/Capture The Atlas
Abisko, Sweden
A colourful aurora photographed in the skies above a little bay of Lake Torneträsk, Abisko, Sweden. This photograph was taken on 1 October 2025. Red tones rise on the southern horizon while the lake remains perfectly still, reflecting every bit of light in the sky. Photo by Jesús Garrido/Capture The Atlas
Taranaki, New Zealand
A rare aurora event lights the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island in vivid curtains of pink and green. In the foreground, the rock formations known as the Three Sisters stand as guardians of the shoreline, while the sacred Taranaki Maunga rises in the distance. Photo by Daniel Mickleson/Capture The Atlas
Raufarhöfn, Iceland
This photo is a single-shot capture from Iceland, taken using a mobile phone with an 8-second long exposure. It shows the Arctic Henge (Heimskautsgerðið) in Raufarhöfn, Iceland. The triangular stone gateway is a prime spot for viewing the aurora. Photo by Sadeq Hayati/Capture The Atlas
Haukland Beach, Lofoten islands, Arctic Circle
Autumn in the Arctic is the best time to capture the 'double arc' of the milky way and the aurora borealis. This image is a 360° panoramic image taken at the border between Haukland and Vik Beach, where rugged mountains meet the wild Norwegian Sea. The intense northern lights and the bright moonlight soften the milky way, but the combination of all these elements in the Arctic sky combine to make a compelling image. Photo by Giulio Cobianchi/Capture The Atlas
Kirkjufell, Iceland
This image was captured during the March equinox, as a geomagnetic storm structure brought a mesmerising light show. A full-zenith auroral corona erupts about the iconic Kirkjufell mountains. Powerful, bright pillars of light radiate across the sky, creating a stunning crown-light blast shape. This rare phenomenon occurred on 21 March 2025, when a coronal mass ejection (CME) struck Earth, triggering a G2 geomagnetic storm. The shot is a 360° panoramic stitch of 21 frames, capturing the entire aurora shape and a complete sky view. This image also features the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfalls in the foreground. Photo by Roi Levi/Capture The Atlas
Cascade Creek – Fiordland, New Zealand
The landscape of Cascade Creek in Fiordland, New Zealand features the natural beauty of the rugged forest, dainty wildflowers and a bubbling stream. Photo by Douglas Thorne/Capture The Atlas
Scoresbysund, Greenland
An aurora photographed above an iceberg in the ice fields of Scoresbysund, Greenland. The ship that carried the photographer navigated through fields of icebergs, scouting for the perfect one. Photo by Virgil Reglioni/Capture The Atlas
Group visual editor for BBC Countryfile, BBC Wildlife and BBC Science Focus
James Cutmore is the group visual editor for BBC Countryfile, BBC Wildlife and BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked as a picture editor for over two decades, telling compelling science and nature stories through the use of striking imagery.
