19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Alaskan mother and daughter at 2:00 am with the Aurora Borealis

This photo illustrates the Aurora Borealis in the middle of the night outside Talkeetna, Alaska. I'm from Alaska, and when I visited my parents last winter we went "Aurora Hunting." We drove the camper north from Anchorage and parked at a pullout near Talkeetna (Gateway of Denali) hoping that Mother Nature would show us her tricks. It was -15 degrees F. My parents and I each set an alarm to check the Aurora (my Dad was midnight, I was 1:00 am, and my mom was 2:00 am) and my mom woke us all up when she saw the lights out at 2:00 am. You can see the Alaska Range behind us, illuminated by the moon and the Aurora borealis.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Talkeetna, Alaska, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Copyright: © Krista Soderlund