September Aurora #2 - Tok, Alaska

 The northern lights have been amazing this year so far. The strong aurora has been appearing in the northern sky since the middle of the August. I headed north from Anchorage to capture the great northern lights and spent the first night near Fairbanks where the northern lights were outstanding and lasted for hours.

 The next day, I camped in a mountain pass north of Tok, in eastern Alaska near the Canadian border. The sky was clear all day. The aurora was already visible while the sun was still setting. As the sky darkened (sunset takes a long time in northern latitudes), the northern lights became brighter and more intense. The curtain-like lights waved in the northern sky and stretched across the horizon.

 

 Then it turned into fish shaped lights! I like to call this "Spirit of Salmon."

 The Aurora that night was very active. It was almost nonstop movement with constant waving, dancing, circling, swirling, and spreading.

 

Light explosion from the mountain...

 Corona lights in zenith!

 Bright intense lights continuously moving.

The lights of Phoenix!

The northern lights show was all over the sky, a 360 degree view for the whole night!

It was also fall color season... The vivid and most beautiful time in Alaska. It is also nice to see the northern lights in warmer temperatures instead of 20 below.

I'll post some fall color images on my next posting, please visit back soon.