Rarely witnessed extreme pulsating Northern Lights have been captured on camera in Norway by world-leading Northern Lights expert and Hurtigruten’s Chief Aurora Chaser, Tom Kerss.
Northern Lights appear when solar particles are trapped and then accelerated by Earth’s magnetic field. The electric currents they generate energise atoms and molecules of oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing them to produce light – the colourful glow of the aurora.
The unusually powerful display is one of the longest on record, with the footage offering unparalleled insights into one of nature’s most compelling spectacles. Kerss discovered the footage in early April when he was reviewing several hours of video content at the end of the aurora season. He found that the clarity and intensity of the recording exceeded anything previously shared.
The dramatic event took place on 22 February near Narvik in northern Norway, onboard Hurtigruten’s MS Trollfjord, following a strong auroral substorm that transformed the Arctic sky with intense colour and motion. Unlike typical pulsating auroras, which last just 10-20 minutes, this display continued for hours.
“I’ve been chasing the Northern Lights for more than 18 years, and this occurrence is one of the most profound sightings of my career and the most memorable night of aurora-chasing I’ve experienced,” Kerss said.
“Even to the naked eye, it was clear something exceptional was happening, with visible pulses and shifting colour. The display lasted for hours, flashing pink and green long after midnight. Seeing it from the open deck in Arctic Norway, far from light pollution, made it even more remarkable. The footage captures not just the beauty, but rare detail that offers real scientific insight.”
The footage illustrates the fact that heightened auroral displays are possible and even likely in the years after the solar maximum – the peak of the Sun’s activity cycle – and they are frequently seen overhead at the northerly latitudes of Arctic Norway.
The full video, which is also available for Aurora researchers, can be viewed here.
