The Greatest Night Of My Life

This was one of the greatest nights of my life. After a long winter of bad luck and cloudy skies, this night couldn't have happened any better. @dimitri0610 and I witnessed some of the strongest auroral activity we had ever seen.

Part 1: Knik River

We embarked from town at 10PM and headed north. A long night lay ahead of us as we planned to drive almost three hours to a viewpoint of the largest mountain in North America, Denali. As we drove, a faint green haze began to form overhead. We stopped at the Knik River Bridge to capture it.

Part 2: The Corona

We then began our drive north. What followed was one of the greatest displays of Auroral activity I have ever seen. A coronal mass ejection occurs when a significant amount of plasma and magnetic field is propelled from the sun towards earth. It is hard to truly explain what happens when a corona strikes, but I can confidently say it is one of the most awe inspiring experiences you will ever be a part of.

Part 3: Denali Viewpoint

Our last stop was a small viewpoint located just off the highway. It offered unrestricted views of the mountain but also allowed a heavy wind to bombard us. Nevertheless we braved the cold and witnessed the lights slowly fade away over the tallest mountain in North America.

This night is one I will remember forever. We left at 10PM and didn't return until after 7AM when the sun began to rise. A night like this makes all of the other nights where I didn't see anything, worth it. Nights like this rekindle the determination to put in the effort to see the Aurora, more than anything else.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work. I hope these photos inspired you to get out and explore. These are some of my favorite pictures I have ever taken of the aurora. If you find them inspiring, please consider resteeming :) If you have questions about capturing the aurora or Alaska in general, I'd love to answer them!

Also, you still have time to enter to win 5 SBD!

-- Chase