25 Spellbinding Photos of the Northern Lights

“An Explosion of Color”

A spellbinding, technicolor view of the phenomenon. Photo: Vincent Beudez

This wild image of the aurora shows a kaleidoscope of color in several bands. The image was taken in Tromsø, Norway, and shows greens, yellows, reds and purples caused by solar particles hitting Earth’s atmosphere.

Previous Next

Giant X-Rays Deliver the Sharpest View Yet of Fusion Plasma Gone Haywire

“Our understanding of instabilities—when they grow, how they grow—is important to making fusion work.”

Energy Gayoung Lee Feb 17

Large Helical Device Nifs Japan Plasma Vacuum

Plasma Turbulence Is Doing Surprising Things Inside Fusion Reactors

For plasma in fusion reactors, turbulence might be more than a pesky thing to control, a new study suggests.

Energy Gayoung Lee Dec 15

See the Skies at Their Most Magical With the Best Aurora Photos of 2025

Missed the auroras? These photographers have got you covered.

Earth Science Gayoung Lee Dec 8

Tokamak Energy Nuclear Fusion Footage Capture

Ever Wondered What Nuclear Fusion Looks Like? We Have Pics

The footage offers an unprecedentedly colorful look at the extreme physics at play—revealing valuable information for researchers studying fusion.

Physics & Chemistry Gayoung Lee Oct 20

The northern lights shining over a snowy mountain landscape

Geomagnetic Storm Watch: Northern Lights Could Dazzle 15 States Tonight

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a geomagnetic storm watch for October 16 as several coronal mass ejections barrel toward Earth.

Space & Spaceflight Ellyn Lapointe Oct 16

Scientists Just Took a Giant Step Toward Scaling Up Nuclear Fusion: ‘What We’ve Done Here Is the Start of What Is Still a Long Journey’

Using a combination of physics and machine learning, the researchers predicted how the plasma inside a tokamak reactor would behave given a set of initial conditions.

Physics & Chemistry Gayoung Lee Oct 12