The seasonal difference between doing fieldwork in Siberia in summery July and a now autumnal September is obvious in low temperatures and bug-free conditions. Plus the added bonus: dark nights and Aurora Borealis, a.k.a. the Northern Lights. Aurora Borealis is a beautiful display of lights, mainly greens and pinks, which brighten up the sky periodically during Arctic nights. I’ve long heard stories from Arctic scientists and Arctic-loving tourists alike about Aurora, but hadn’t experienced it firsthand as I’ve only been to the Arctic in July, when the sun never sets.

Aurora borealis over the taiga forest.

As the nights draw in and every evening the darkness lengthens and brilliant Northern Lights are forecasted, science photographer and engaging communicator Chris Linder waits on the roof in below freezing temperatures, camera in hand, as we wait excitedly in the warmth to be summoned when Aurora appears. Several nights ago, we bore witness to Aurora lighting up the sky around the star Polaris, a poetic moment for Polaris Project scientists indeed.