Icelandic photographer Kristjan Unnar Kristjansson - also known as 'Kiddi' - has spent the last nine years capturing the kaleidoscopic light show in his native homeland.
'These are some of my very favourite Aurora Borealis photos that I have taken in recent years,' said the 31-year-old from Reykjavik in Iceland.


Also known as the northern and southern polar lights, the natural light displays are governed by sun storms and are usually observed at night.
In northern latitudes the effect is known as the Aurora Borealis, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas.
Using highly sensitive cameras - and a lot of patience - Kristjan has gone to extraordinary lengths to capture the images.
'It is really hard capturing them, as they require bright lenses, highly photosensitive cameras, warm clothes and a whole lot of luck,' he said.


'I don't think anyone has ever captured a good aurora photo in their first try or even their second.
'I try to have people, structures, landscapes in the picture as it gives the auroras authenticity, scale and value, at least in my opinion.'
Even though Kristjan is lucky enough to sometimes see the auroras from just outside his apartment, he often takes trips out of Reykjavik in order to get the best pictures.
'Getting good photos of them on the other hand can be tricky,' he said. 'So I often take trips outside of Reykjavik with a friend or two, and we take a drive to a remote, light-pollution free location.
'In total, I would estimate that I've driven somewhere around 10, 000-15, 000 kilometres while looking for them.'

The auroras are with us all year round. In Iceland, the summers never go dark so you wouldn't be able to see them, even though they are there.
'The auroras are governed by sun storms, which have been few and small in recent years. The last peak was in 2001, and the next peak is expected between 2013 - 2015.
'I can tell they're getting stronger by looking at their colour,' says Kristjan. 'Usually they're just green/pinkish, but now we're seeing clear tones of red. I can't wait until my next aurora trip.'



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