I stepped out of the tent at 1 AM, groggy and half-expecting disappointment. The stars were bright, but the sky showed no sign of the aurora I’d set my alarm for. Still, I took a few test shots — and there it was: the faintest green glow on the horizon.
Curious, I left my sleeping family and walked into the open streambed nearby. As I moved, the glow grew — and then suddenly, the sky came alive. A vast arch of light formed overhead, with pillars and ribbons of green fire stretching and twisting above me.
I set up my camera by a quiet tributary, heart pounding, completely in awe. In that moment, I wasn’t just witnessing the aurora — I was standing inside it.
