The Best Northern Lights Photos of 2025

Capturing the northern lights dancing across the night sky is on the bucket list of every outdoor photographer. Those who have never seen them in person can still enjoy the experiences of others, thanks to an annual contest run by the photography blog, Capture the Atlas.

Now in its eighth year, the contest showcases the 25 most extraordinary aurora images taken around the globe this year, culled from thousands of submissions. The winners are chosen “based on the uniqueness of the location, the story behind the shot, technical excellence, strong composition, and authenticity,” says Capture the Atlas’s founder, Dan Zafra. An astrophotographer, Zafra has built a career photographing the night sky.

The Sun’s 11-year cycle features phases of both low and high solar activity. In recent years, the activity has been high, and sunspots and solar flares have given us spectacular auroras, some of them in places you don’t normally associate with these lights.

“Some of the photos were even captured on long-haul flights,” Zafra told DIY Photography.

This year, the winning photos came from 15 different countries. While many of the images were taken in the classic locations like Iceland, Finland, and Norway, the widespread visibility of the auroras also led to images from the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S.