Auroral Dunes, The Dunes, Dune Aurora observed over Ørsta,Norway. January 22, 2012.

Presented as Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD). August 20, 2021.

Auroral Dunes, The Dunes, Dune Aurora over Ørsta, Norway. October 29, 2025.

On the night of October 29th, 2025, there was a brief display of the
relatively rare phenomenon known as The Dunes over Ørsta, Norway.

The foreground featured a bright green aurora band, the more delicate (and faint) auroral waves unfolded behind it. The faint undulating patterns stretched horizontally across the sky, resembling ripples in sand.

A phenomenon linked to atmospheric gravity waves that is modulating the aurora’s brightness at higher altitudes.

The Dunes lasted for about 10 – 15 minutes, before they gradually vanished.

Photo details: Canon 650D, 8 mm fisheye-lens.

Auroral Dunes, The Dunes, Dune Aurora over Ørsta, Norway. January 10, 2026.

Auroral Dunes. On 10 January 2026, around 19:55 local time (18:55 UTC) and for approximately 16 minutes, I observed a thin, diffuse green aurora showing clear horizontal ripple‑like structures. Thin clouds were present in the foreground and interfered at times, making interpretation more challenging both visually and photographically. Despite the cloud interference, the structures remained stable across several exposures — 20:01, 20:04, and 20:07 local time (19:01, 19:04, 19:07 UTC) — and the pattern is consistent with previously documented auroral dunes. Details: Canon 650D, 8mm fisheye-lens, Iso:1600, various exposure times.