A sample from my portfolio of stock photos of aurora borealis. See my stock photo section of the website for a complete array of over 150 Aurora borealis photos.
You’ll find aurora borealis photos from Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Katmai National Park, Denali National Park, as well as arctic and subarctic Alaska. An array of Aurora borealis photos from spring, winter and fall.
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, are a mystical, magical phenomenon like no other.
These often amazing light shows occur when highly charged electrons from the solar wind interact with elements in the earth’s atmosphere. The solar winds, traveling at speeds up to 1 million miles per hour can reach earth’s atmosphere less than 40 hours after their journey from the sun begins. Here they follow patterns and lines that are a function of the earth’s magnetic force, generated by the earth’s core and flow through an area of highly charged electrical and magnetically fields known as earth’s magnetosphere.
Other photo pages of note
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- The Dalton Highway and the aurora borealis overhead.
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- Tail lights on the trees and northern lights in the sky.
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- Northern lights over Copper River, Wrangell St. Elias Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis display over Spruce trees, Alaska.
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- Arctic northern lights
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- A Rising Arc aurora borealis display in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.
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- Northern lights over Denali
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- The northern lights and Denali, Mt McKinley, and the Little Susitna River.
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- The Waxing Crescent Moon and Denali, Mt McKinley and the aurora borealis.
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- An aurora borealis display over Matanuska Glacier, Alaska.
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- Photographing the Northern lights on the Glenn highway.
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- Dalton highway road sign and Northern Lights.
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- Northern lights and Venus, Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis photo from Cleary Summit, Alaska.
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- Northern lights display over boreal forest, Alaska.
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- Strong active aurora borealis display, Alaska.
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- Northern lights display over boreal forest, Alaska.
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- Bands of northern lights, aurora borealis colors, Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis and Mt. Drum, Copper River, Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis over Wrangell Mountains, Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis and star trails, over Wrangell Mountains, Alaska.
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- Northern lights over Mt. Porphyry, Alaska
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- Aurora borealis over Mt. Porphyry, Alaska.
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- Northern lights off Dalton highway, Alaska.
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- The northern lights over Wrangell Mountains, Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis over Elliot Highway, Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis display over Spruce trees, Alaska
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- Active northern lights over boreal forest
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- Strong active aurora borealis display, Alaska
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- Corona Aurora borealis photo, or coronal northern lights photo
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- Active aurora borealis photo over the boreal forest, Alaska
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- Northern lights over the Dalton Highway. Alaska
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- Active northern lights over spruce trees
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- Northern lights over Tanana River, Alaska.
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- Corona, or Coronal northern lights photo.
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- Northern lights off Dalton highway, Alaska
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- Strong red active aurora borealis display, Alaska
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- Bands of aurora borealis colors
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- Corona Aurora borealis photo, or coronal northern lights photo
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- Travel photo of northern lights on Dalton highway Alaska
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- Photo of Dalton highway sign and northern lights, Alaska
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- Photo of Aurora borealis over Tanana River
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- Dalton highway sign and aurora borealis in northern Alaska
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- Active red northern lights photo, boreal forest, Alaska
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- Green Active aurora borealis display Alaska
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- Night sky and aurora borealis photo.
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- Photographer shooting northern lights in Arctic Alaska.
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- Intense aurora borealis display photo.
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- Corona Aurora borealis photo, Alaska
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- Active northern lights over boreal forest.
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- Active northern lights over boreal forest
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- Strong aurora borealis over boreal forest
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- Active northern lights over boreal forest
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- Active northern lights
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- Strong band of aurora borealis
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- Colorful northern lights photo
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- Northern lights and sunset over winter Alaska.
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- Aurora borealis photo in Alaska over boreal forest
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- Active northern lights over boreal forest
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- Northern lights over the Dalton Highway. Alaska.
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- Colorful northern lights over boreal forest
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- Active aurora borealis photo over the boreal forest, Alaska
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- Active northern lights over boreal forest
Contact me to inquire about licensing any of these photos.
More Notes about Aurora borealis Photos
The term aurora comes from the Roman Goddess of the Dawn, “Aurora”, and the ancient Greek God of Wind, “Borealis”. Aurora borealis photos.
“Auroras are now known to be caused by the collision of charged particles (e.g. electrons), found in the magnetosphere, with atoms in the Earth’s upper atmosphere (at altitudes above 80 km). These charged particles are typically energized to levels between 1 thousand and 15 thousand electronvolts and, as they collide with atoms of gases in the atmosphere, the atoms become energized. Shortly afterwards, the atoms emit their gained energy as light. Light emitted by the Aurora tends to be dominated by emissions from atomic oxygen, resulting in a greenish glow (at a wavelength of 557.7 nm) and – especially at lower energy levels and at higher altitudes – the dark-red glow (at 630.0 nm of wavelength). ”
Here’s what I’m told: “As the electrons enter the earth’s upper atmosphere, they will encounter atoms of oxygen and nitrogen at altitudes from 20 to 200 miles above the earth’s surface. The color of the aurora depends on which atom is struck, and the altitude of the meeting”
Generally, the aurora borealis altitude is as follows:
- Green – oxygen, up to 150 miles in altitude
- Red – oxygen, above 150 miles in altitude
- Blue – nitrogen, up to 60 miles in altitude
- Purple/violet – nitrogen, above 60 miles in altitude
For licensing or purchasing any of these aurora borealis photos, please contact Carl Donohue. For information on my Aurora borealis photos tours, please visit Expeditions Alaska