Best Aurora Photo of 2024

Out of my almost 1,000 photos of the northern lights from this year – which one is the best? Read on to find out.

First of all – we aurora watchers don't think in calendar years but rather aurora seasons. The aurora season starts in August and ends in April. But since 2024 is coming to an end, let me show you my highlights from this year.

Deciding which is my best photo is probably impossible so I will instead decide on a winner amongst my favourite aurora photos. Which one is it going to be? Here are a selection of candidates.

In –30° Celsius on 3 January.

1. Extremely cold experimentation

As we had extremely cold weather in January 2024 I just had to throw hot water up in the air and see it instantly transformed into snow. Although I have been living in Finland all of my live I have never tried this before. Of course I had to do it with an auroral green sky in the background.

Well, the photo is cool (in every sense) but it will not be a winner.

Ice floes are slowly melting as winter is loosing its grip.

2. Northern lights and ice floes

In April, when snow is melting and the ice on the sea surface slowly breaks up and goes away, I managed to capture this wonderful scenery. The northern lights reflecting in the water between ice floes that are actually stuck on very shallow water. It was a fascinating view although I wished the auroral activity had been stronger. So this is not the winner either.

The auroral explosion of May 11.

3. Strongest northern lights of my life

In May the earth was hit by a huge amount of plasma from the sun and this in turn created the strongest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years. I saw it. I took photos of it.

Unfortunately the season would normally be over by then, as I mentioned in the beginning, but just because this was so extremely strong it could be seen on the light night sky. In total darkness this would have been amazing. Now it was fascinating, and I'm glad I could witness it, but no winning photos were taken this night.

What a wonderful combination of things I love – those people and that natural phenomenon.

4. Aurora wedding photo

Now this must be it, don't you think. My oldest daughter got married in August and the northern lights, very suitable, appeared on the night of their wedding. I adore the photo. But we didn't invest too much time in taking the perfect aurora wedding photo. We had a party going on, after all. So maybe this has to come in as close second.

Red and green aurora captured beside the road. Sometimes you just have to hit the brakes.

5. In the wrong place at the right time

In late September I was on my way home from my aurora safari when the northern lights suddenly exploded. I just had to stop where I happened to be. In spite of the major aurora in the sky there is nothing else in the picture that grabs your attention.

Imagine seeing it for the first time. I have seen it hundreds of times and I'm still amazed by the northern lights.

6. Once again by the sea

This is a very good candidate. It may win the contest among you readers. Wouldn't it? At least it did in a mini poll in my newsletters some time ago. This is a photo I could easily have hanging on the wall in my own house. Soon it will be available in my webshop. But it's not my favourite.

Walking over this last sand dune and seeing the northern lights reflecting in the sea water. What an experience!

7. Amazing colors of the aurora borealis

The more colorful, the more beautiful. I think that is to some extent true about auroral photos. And this one has an amazing aurora that's colorful. Can't you see me being totally floored by it in the picture? Yes, the northern lights still amaze me – every time I see them.

This aurora just grew and grew, but it was actually the most beautiful in the very beginning.

8. November auroras

To many Finns, Swedes and Norwegians November is the worst month. It's cold, rainy, dark and dull. I can agree about the darkness. Everything becomes brighter and more beautiful when the snow comes. But with the aurora dancing in the sky I can never dislike November. And I love this photo with the lonely tree by the beach. Not my favourite, though.

And the winner is…

9. Combination of colors – aurora and twilight

This is it. Some of you might have guessed. I have a soft spot for auroras combined with the fading light an colors of the sunset that paints the sky for hours after the sun went to sleep. That's how August nights look here in Finland. And when the aurora adds its jewelry to the scenery it becomes irresistible. That's why this is my favourite aurora photo of the calendar year, 2024.

And it happened to be the first one I saw this season, in mid August. Hence the title NEW BEGINNING. It represents a new start with a positive approach on life. Something most people can relate to from time to time.

Thank you for making it all the way to the end. As we are in the middle of a very active period when it comes to northern lights activity I expect the second part of this season (Jan–April 2025) to be nothing but awesome. Let's see how it goes.

I promise to let you know!

Cheers,

Ove Lillas

Nordland Aurora

All my aurora photos are unmanipulated and authentic. What you see is real. For AI pictures and over-edited aurora photos: go somewhere else!

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