Milky Way, Airglow, and Aurora over an Icelandic Glacial Lagoon
Category: Single Shot
Social IG: victorlimaphoto
Story:
Milky Way, Airglow, and Aurora over an Icelandic Glacial Lagoon
In this nocturnal view above the glacial lagoon of Jökulsárlón, Iceland, the Milky Way ascends luminously over a mosaic of drifting icebergs shaped by the Vatnajökull ice cap. The galactic core reveals complex dust lanes and striking H-alpha emission regions, glowing in deep pink and red tones that contrast with the cold landscape below.
Across the sky, faint bands of airglow—in green and yellow hues generated by chemical reactions high in Earth’s upper atmosphere—form a luminous backdrop. To the lower right, a soft arc of aurora borealis emerges, adding its characteristic green radiance to the scene. The coexistence of airglow and aurora, each produced by distinct atmospheric processes at different altitudes, creates a rare and delicately layered sky.
Captured under exceptionally clear and dark conditions near the Arctic Circle, this image blends exposures optimized for faint emission structures, allowing the intricate interplay between Earth and sky to be revealed in remarkable detail. The stillness of the lagoon mirrors the celestial display, linking ancient ice to the vast architecture of the Milky Way above.
EXIF:
Single Shot
Canon EOS 6D Ha-mod
Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art
13sec / f:1.8 / ISO 2500
Milky Way, Airglow, and Aurora over an Icelandic Glacial Lagoon
Category: Single Shot
Social IG: victorlimaphoto
Story:
Milky Way, Airglow, and Aurora over an Icelandic Glacial Lagoon
In this nocturnal view above the glacial lagoon of Jökulsárlón, Iceland, the Milky Way ascends luminously over a mosaic of drifting icebergs shaped by the Vatnajökull ice cap. The galactic core reveals complex dust lanes and striking H-alpha emission regions, glowing in deep pink and red tones that contrast with the cold landscape below.
Across the sky, faint bands of airglow—in green and yellow hues generated by chemical reactions high in Earth’s upper atmosphere—form a luminous backdrop. To the lower right, a soft arc of aurora borealis emerges, adding its characteristic green radiance to the scene. The coexistence of airglow and aurora, each produced by distinct atmospheric processes at different altitudes, creates a rare and delicately layered sky.
Captured under exceptionally clear and dark conditions near the Arctic Circle, this image blends exposures optimized for faint emission structures, allowing the intricate interplay between Earth and sky to be revealed in remarkable detail. The stillness of the lagoon mirrors the celestial display, linking ancient ice to the vast architecture of the Milky Way above.
EXIF:
Single Shot
Canon EOS 6D Ha-mod
Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art
13sec / f:1.8 / ISO 2500