The Sundarban
An incredible northern lights display captured on the night time of Jan. 18-19 from 37,000 feet. Click the arrows in the underside correct nook to magnify. (Image credit score: Matt Melnyk)
I’ve been fortunate adequate to look some incredible aurora displays over the years — and to receive stunning photos from readers and photographers — but this most up-to-date sequence of photos from airline pilot Matt Melnyk would be the most easy I’ve ever seen.
During the most up-to-date geomagnetic storms that rattled Earth’s magnetic discipline on the night time of Jan. 18–19, auroras possess been observed a ways beyond their ordinary polar limits, with skywatchers around the arena sharing vivid photos of green, pink and deep magenta scenes in the sky. But Melnyk arguably had the most easy seat in the arena — the cockpit of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
“The show started as soon as we climbed above the clouds and continued on and off during the flight from Calgary to London, U.K.,” Melnyk told Space.com. “It was a historical night that’s for sure!”
The breathtaking photos possess been captured from 37,000 feet (11 kilometers) over northern Manitoba, Hudson Bay and Baffin Island in Canada.
Matt Melnyk is an airline pilot and avid aurora chaser who generally enjoys northern lights shows during his flights between Canada and Europe.
From the cruising altitude of plane appreciate Melnyk’s, high above the clouds and a ways from city light pollution, auroras can seem brighter, sharper and extra huge than from the bottom, with clouds and city lights a ways under. The northern lights perceived to indulge in the general sky, saturating the scene with vivid curtains of coloration dancing to the whims of Earth’s magnetic discipline.
An incredible northern lights display captured on the night time of Jan. 18-19 from 37,000 feet. (Click the arrow in the decrease correct nook to magnify.)(Image credit score: Matt Melnyk)
“This was the most incredible display of aurora I’ve ever seen in my 20 years of flying!” Melnyk added. “This flight I will remember for days to come.”
Melnyk captured the stunning photos with a Canon R6 ii and Sigma 14mm F1.8 lens. “I normally shoot with a 20mm F1.4 lens out of the airplane at night, but I decided to go extra wide for this flight as I knew I would probably need something wider to get the big auroras!” Melnyk added.
An incredible northern lights display captured on the night time of Jan. 18-19 from 37,000 feet. (Click the arrow in the decrease correct nook to magnify.)(Image credit score: Matt Melnyk)
Melnyk isn’t any stranger to being accompanied by the northern lights during flights all over Europe, and we just currently featured one other space of his photos captured during a severe G4 geomagnetic storm in Nov. 2025. Whereas these photos possess been stunning, this most up-to-date sequence basically surpasses them.
The detect from the cockpit. (Click the arrow in the decrease correct nook to magnify.)(Image credit score: Matt Melnyk)
Inspired to grab your contain astrophotography? Our easiest cameras for astrophotography and easiest lenses for astrophotography can aid you get prepared to grab the next stunning skywatching tournament.
Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously labored for our sister newsletter All About Space magazine as a personnel author. Forward of joining us, Daisy accomplished an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Evening Magazine and labored at the Nationwide Space Centre in Leicester, U.Passable., the keep she loved communicating condominium science to the general public. In 2021, Daisy accomplished a PhD in plant physiology and additionally holds a Master’s in Environmental Science, she is currently essentially based in Nottingham, U.Passable. Daisy is interested about all things condominium, with a penchant for photo voltaic train and condominium weather. She has a right interest in astrotourism and loves nothing better than a correct northern lights hotfoot!
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