Earth lights up with northern lights across the world: Iconic images you should not miss
From Canada to Europe and beyond, the Northern Lights lit up skies across the world on January 19–20, 2026. On January 18, the Sun released a mighty burst of energy in the form of a large solar flare and a massive cloud of charged particles. The impact stirred Earth’s invisible magnetic shield and set off one of the strongest geomagnetic storms in more than twenty years. As these energetic particles collided with gases high in Earth’s atmosphere, they lit up the sky in luminous waves of colour. These iconic northern lights images, you should not miss.
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The Aurora Borealis, also known as the “northern lights”, illuminates the sky over Hamburg, Germany, January 21, 2026. REUTERS
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The image was taken over Mount Lorne, Yukon, Canada. REUTERS
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Northern lights above Beiji Village, Mohe City, Heilongjiang Province of China. (Image credit: Chi Shiyong/VCG via Getty Images)
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Arpita Chowdhury is Sub Editor (Travel) at Firstpost. She is a writer, poet, and researcher with a strong background in human interest storytelling. She completed her MA in Journalism and International Affairs at University College Dublin in collaboration with CNN Academy. Her reporting and commentary have appeared in numerous national and international dailies. She runs on masala chai. Arpita can be reached out at arpita.chowdhury2@nw18.com see more
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