Yukon Aurora with Star Trails
Fixed to a tripod, a camera can record graceful trails
traced by stars
as planet Earth
rotates on its axis.
But at high latitudes during
March and April,
it can also capture an
aurora shimmering in the night.
In fact, the weeks surrounding the equinox, in both spring and fall,
offer a favorable
season for aurora hunters.
The possibilities are demonstrated in this beautiful moonlit vista
from northwestern Canadian territory the Yukon.
It was taken during the early morning of March 1, off
the Klondike Highway
about 60 kilometers south of Dawson City.
To compose the picture, many short exposures were digitally
combined to follow the concentric star trail arcs while including
the greenish auroral curtains also known as
the
northern lights.