These incredible photographs of the aurora borealis captured the moment the lights formed the outline of a phoenix – the giant fire-eating bird common in many ancient mythologies.
With outstretched wings and a striking bird-shaped profile, the image – captured by photographer Hallgrimur P Helgason – wowed stargazers in Kaldarsel.
Mr Helgason, 64, said that the bird showed up in the night sky an hour after he got there and started snapping.
He said: ‘It’s really a thrill shooting the aurora, especially when they are so playful like they were that night. I have to admit that I always get an adrenalin kick when the lights burst out like that – that particular shot was the top one of the night.’
He uses a camera and tripod to photograph the lights, and advises snapping in the dark away from city light pollution and never using a flash.
He said the Northern Lights were mainly showing in green and yellow colors when he was shooting that night but also sported red and blue, suggesting the aurora was strong.
