Never did I expect to be able to see and photograph both the moon and the aurora borealis so close to one another, but Mother Nature continues to prove me wrong. With the moon diffused by low-hanging clouds and the aurora seemingly reaching out to touch her, it felt like witnessing the most serene and mesmerizing battle between two amazingly beautiful forces of light. The Arctic Circle is truly one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

While this looks like two photos stitched together, it was captured in one shot.