20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Aurora Cinnamon Roll

"Cinnamon Roll Aurora" This was the massive substorm aurora that we flew the NASA Loss Through Auroral Microburst (LAMP) sounding rocket through on March 5, 2022. I was offered to assist in this mission earlier this year which was a dream come true for me since I love the aurora and my career goal is to be a space weather researcher. On March 5, the aurora was so bright I could read print and every color you see in the photo was clearly visible to the naked eye - truly a stunning moment I will never forget.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-7M4
Copyright: © Vincent Ledvina