Last night a long-time dream came true, auroras with lightning! Before arriving at the right location, a friend and me were inland waiting for northern lights. On the horizon we saw some light flashes. I thought it’s a firework, but after it kept going, I checked the weather app and sure enough a thunderstorm was brewing above the Baltic Sea! Could this be it? Lightning with reflections? Dare I even think it, maybe with auroras? The adrenaline pumped in an it was time to change location.

There was lightning, there were reflections, wow! Usually we get thunderstorms only during the bright summer days or nights, so seeing the lightning so clearly was new. I took a few hundred photos and caught some wonderful lightning, but at first, no aurora. Then, the northern lights appeared, weakly but they were there. And as if they would have a secret agreement, the lightning stopped. After a while, they both appeared at the same time, just when I readjusted my camera. But in the end I caught both and here it is:

Auroras and lightning

The wide-angle view of this moment revealed more stars, the Big Dipper high above and on the left, Arcturus reflected in the water as well:

Auroras and lightning wide

I took a photo just before the lightning and if you like to compare both of them, just move the slider below:

Auroras withoutAuroras with

A wonderful late summer night, not too cold, not too windy. And just like every night outdoors, you never know what is waiting for you.

Hope you are safe and well,
Thomas