A trip that’ll be frozen in my memory forever: I survived -27C chasing the Northern Lights (and here’s how to photograph them using only a smartphone) [Video]

12:14 EST 29 Feb 2024 , updated 12:14 EST 29 Feb 2024

Nothing prepared me for this extraordinary phenomenon.

With the moon bouncing just enough light off the snow to light my path, I gaze up at the Northern Lights for as long as I can withstand the cold. It’s -27C, I’m wearing six layers of clothing and my hair and eyelashes are coated in frost.

‘I’m here,’ I tell myself, alone in the silence as the group I’m with climbs back on the bus.

The aurora borealis occurs when energy waves from the sun react with the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. That’s the science. The result when you see it? Being rendered speechless is likely.

Even here in the Arctic Circle, sightings are not guaranteed, which adds to the thrill of the chase.