A rare heart-shaped display of the Northern Lights captured over Norway has gone viral ahead of Valentine’s Day, drawing widespread attention on social media.
The photograph was taken by Norwegian photographer Kristoffer Vangen, who captured the Aurora Borealis glowing in a clear heart-like shape against a dark, cloudless night sky. The vivid green lights quickly spread online, with many users praising the image’s timing and beauty.
Vangen said he had long hoped to photograph the Northern Lights forming a recognizable shape. Earlier attempts fell short, but conditions aligned on a recent Friday night.
“I always wanted to capture the northern lights shaped as something,” Vangen wrote on Instagram. “I imagined a bird, a tornado, or a skull. I came close a few times, but the shape never felt clear enough. Last Friday, I finally got something. Maybe a heart is a bit cliché, but I’m not complaining.”
Auroras form when charged particles from space collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, releasing energy as light. Depending on altitude and gas type, the lights can appear green, blue, purple, pink, or red.
As the image gained traction, some viewers questioned whether it was generated by artificial intelligence. Others pushed back, calling the photo a reminder of nature’s unpredictability and beauty.
Responding to the skepticism, Vangen explained his process and confirmed the image is authentic. He shared the original RAW file and described how he edited the photo.
“It’s not AI,” he wrote. “Most of my photos are a single shot, edited in Lightroom and Photoshop. Sometimes I use focus stacking or blending, which is common in night photography.”
Vangen acknowledged the skepticism but said he was grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response. The image, he added, reflects both patience and timing—key elements of photographing the Northern Lights.
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