Łukasz Remkowicz: Northern Lights over Vestrahorn

When Earth Meets Solar Wind: Northern Lights over Vestrahorn

Iceland. Winter night. The frozen edge of Stokksnes beach.

Above Vestrahorn's jagged peaks, the sky erupts in green—curtains of light dancing vertically, twisting, pulsing with energy from 93 million miles away. Solar particles colliding with Earth's atmosphere at thousands of miles per second, releasing photons in that unmistakable auroral green. And occasionally red, when the oxygen molecules higher up join the show.

Below? Ice. Perfectly still frozen water reflecting everything—mountain, aurora, the electric connection between stone and sky.

Polish astrophotographer Łukasz Remkowicz captured this moment when everything aligned: clear skies, strong geomagnetic storm, frozen reflective surface, and one of Iceland's most photogenic mountains standing witness.

The image earned triple recognition:

• NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (Instagram REELS)
• AAPOD2 Image of the Day
• SKY (APOD)

Three separate platforms, one unanimous conclusion—this is how you photograph the aurora.

A Symphony of Ice, Stone, and Light

To capture this scene, the photographer stood on the frozen shore of Stokksnes, where the shallow water held a thin, delicate sheet of ice. This foreground element is crucial, providing a stunning, mirror-like reflection that perfectly balances the image.

The sharp profile of Vestrahorn anchors the composition, leading your eye upward to the mesmerizing aurora borealis. Watch the ribbons of green and occasional flares of red, hanging vertically like monumental curtains, pulsing with energy above the ridge. It's a scene of frosty stillness and explosive light, captured in a single, breathtaking frame.

Vestrahorn: Iceland's Gothic Cathedral

Vestrahorn isn't Iceland's tallest mountain. At 454 meters, it's almost modest.

But those jagged peaks—Eystrahorn and Brunnhorn forming the massif—rise straight from sea level with dramatic verticality. The rock is gabbro, a dark intrusive igneous rock that contrasts beautifully against sky and aurora. The profile is instantly recognizable: serrated ridges like the spines of a sleeping dragon.

Stokksnes, where Remkowicz photographed, features that distinctive black sand beach. In winter, when temperatures plunge, the shallow water near shore freezes into a thin sheet—just enough to create perfect reflections without the ripples and waves of open water.

This combination—Gothic mountain profile, dark volcanic rock, reflective ice surface, and auroral curtains overhead—happens only under specific conditions. You need winter cold. Clear skies. Strong geomagnetic activity. And enough luck to be there when it all converges.

Image details

• Canon EOS R
• Canon RF 15–35 at 15 mm
• Exposition: sky 5s, background: 30s

Awards

• REELS APOD NASA (Instagram)
• AAPOD2 — Image of the Day
• SKY (APOD)

The Astrography Standard: Hand-Selected for Wonder

We believe that art that captures the cosmos should be as profound as the universe itself. At Astrography, we are meticulous curators. We seek out images like this one—recognized globally for their artistic excellence and technical precision—that tell a clear, compelling story.

This photograph is a perfect example of astrolandscape at its finest: an image that marries a globally recognizable landmark with one of nature's most spectacular celestial phenomena.

Who This Print Is For

• Aurora chasers: If you've stood on black sand beaches watching the northern lights dance, if you've driven Ring Road hunting clear skies, if you've felt that moment when the aurora suddenly intensifies—this is your memory. Vestrahorn under the lights, captured with triple-award-winning excellence.
• Dreamers planning Iceland trips: You've seen the Instagram posts. You've researched the best months (September-March). You've checked aurora forecast apps. This print is both inspiration and aspiration—what you're traveling to see, captured at that perfect moment most visitors miss.
• Aurora enthusiasts who can't travel north: The northern lights occur within the auroral oval—generally above 60°N latitude. If you live in southern latitudes, you'll never see this unless you travel. This print brings Iceland's winter aurora to your wall, no passport required.
• Nature lovers who appreciate elemental beauty: Stone. Ice. Magnetic fields made visible. This is Earth's atmosphere doing what it's done for billions of years—glowing when solar wind strikes it. Captured above one of the planet's most dramatic mountain profiles.
• Collectors of award-winning photography: NASA APOD Instagram feature. AAPOD2 Image of the Day. SKY (APOD) recognition. Triple selection by organizations that see thousands of aurora photos annually. This isn't just "northern lights over Iceland"—this is the aurora image that stood out from thousands of competitors.
• Interior designers working with dramatic landscapes: The vertical lines of the aurora. The horizontal ice reflection. The jagged mountain silhouette breaking both. The color palette—electric greens against blacks and deep blues. This composition works in modern spaces, mountain lodges, anywhere you want to bring Iceland's raw beauty indoors.
• Gift seekers for nature photographers or Iceland lovers: Know someone obsessed with aurora photography? Someone who has "see northern lights" on their bucket list? Someone who honeymooned in Iceland? This is the gift that captures what they're chasing—or what they've already found and can't stop talking about.

Two Formats, One Auroral Dance

The memory of the aurora fades, but your print should not. Choose from:

• Fine Art Print (200+ year lifespan): Museum-grade archival paper with pigments tested for centuries. Investment-quality printing that preserves both the vivid auroral greens and the subtle reflected colors in the ice. When you're gone, your descendants will still see Vestrahorn crowned with northern lights.
• Poster Print: Same striking composition, same triple-award quality, accessible pricing. Perfect for students, first apartments, anyone building their Iceland-inspired space on a budget.

Both formats ship ready to frame. We handle the challenging color range—from electric auroral green to near-black volcanic rock to delicate ice reflections. You just decide where Iceland's magic hangs.

The northern lights dance every winter. Vestrahorn stands eternal. But this moment—when frozen water reflected both mountain and aurora in perfect symmetry—happened once. And now it's yours.

Don't just dream of the North. Bring the magic of the Northern Lights over Vestrahorn home today.