There are not many places on Earth where you can experience this sight. On magical Andøya in Norway, rockets are launched at the same time as nature's own fireworks, the northern lights, dance across the sky and compete for your attention.

"It went from total darkness to the world lighting up. It went from total silence to hearing rumblings that allowed me to sense how big the airspace above us is."

Andøya is unique in many ways, with its location at 69 degrees north in Norway. Not least, it's a place that is extremely favourable for launching satellites and research rockets. At the same time, Andøya is perfect for researching the northern lights and the polar atmosphere. That's why more than 1,000 rockets and balloons have been launched from the island in Northern Norway.

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The photo was taken in November 2022 by Bjørn Myreze, who moved to the island to work in more creative surroundings than in the big city.

 "It was an incredible experience. I took the picture from my own garden, where we have a view of Andøya Space. The rocket was launched on a cloudless winter night, at the same time as the northern lights were in motion. NASA told me that they had never seen such a picture before, with nature and technology united so naturally together," says Myreze, who runs his own company on the island and works in the television industry.

"This photo shoot tops everything."

Bjørn Myreze continues:

"As a photographer, I have done many challenging and fun photo shoots all over the world. In the sky, underwater, with famous people, and in amazing places and surroundings, but this tops everything."

Myreze thinks the picture says a lot about the spectacular nature of the island, the technology developed by humans, the magic of the northern lights, and the vastness of space out there.

"It went from total darkness to the world lighting up. It went from total silence to hearing rumblings that allowed me to sense how big the airspace above us is. To be able to stand in your own garden up here at Andenes and get nature, technology, and the northern lights in a single picture is unreal," says Myreze.

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The rocket launch was a collaboration between Andøya Space and NASA.

Two probe rockets, named NASA ACES II, were launched into the atmosphere that winter night. Their research missions were completed in a matter of magical minutes.

"The first rocket reached an altitude of 406 kilometres, and the second 188 kilometres into the atmosphere," Andøya Space wrote in a statement.

Perfect for northern lights hunters

But the island in northern Norway is known for much more than rockets and space research. It is also very well located for northern lights hunters. There is very little light pollution, and the area is sparsely populated, which provides a very clear and unusually beautiful night sky.

At 69 degrees north, there is a polar night there in the middle of winter. The polar night means that the sun remains below the horizon – even when it is at its highest point in the middle of the day. On Andøya, this means that the sun is completely gone for two months every winter.

Many people think that it is then dark around the clock, but that is not true at all. At noon, when it is closest to the horizon, one can see reflections of the sun, and a magical light emerges that ranges from the warmest pastels to the brightest orange and purple tones.

For many who love the northern lights, this is the most beautiful time of year in the north. Several local providers can help ensure you get to see the northern lights in the best spots.

You have plenty of time to experience the magical, green rays. On Andøya, the sun is below the horizon from 29 November until around 13 January. But you can actually observe the northern lights all year round if the conditions are right.

The world's second longest coastline

In addition, nowhere else along the world's second longest coastline does the Gulf Stream come closer to land. Just off the island, the sea plunges all the way down to a depth of 3,000 metres. This also creates a wide range of other natural phenomena, which makes the island a major tourist attraction for those who love powerful nature experiences.

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The fish thrive at such depths. And where the fish thrive, the whales also thrive. This has earned the island the nickname "the kingdom of the whales". Off the coast of Andøya, you can see killer whales, pilot whales, humpback whales, sperm whales, fin whales, and several dolphin species, to name just a few of the species of which you can catch a glimpse. Several operators offer whale watching safaris. On Andøya, you are almost guaranteed to get a glimpse and maybe snap a picture of these beautiful creatures. The trips usually take half a day, and the waves out at sea can be rough for those who are not used to such things.

But it is not only in the sea that wildlife flourishes on Andøya. The birdlife along the coast is very diverse and is well known for its large bird colonies. Bleiksøya is a protected bird cliff that is bustling with life. In the summer, the island hosts one of the largest puffin colonies in Norway. Sea eagles are also not difficult to spot in Vesterålen.

Getting to Andøya

Andøya has its own airport, where even the largest planes can land. Several airlines fly to the island, from destinations including Tromsø, Bodø, and Oslo. At the airport, you can rent a car to get around. However, the car rental agency is not always staffed, so it always pays to book well in advance.

There is a wide range of accommodation options on the island, from hotels and lodges to fisherman's cabins and private residences. A few hours' drive from Andenes, the largest village on the island, you will find the fantastic restaurant Kvitnes Gård, which is known throughout the Nordic region for its excellent cuisine and locally sourced ingredients, and which also offers accommodation.

The place is an old farm that has been completely refurbished. Kvitnes Gård prefers to serve food that is grown on its own land and also often uses ingredients that have been fermented to perfection. One of its many specialties is called værballer, ram testicles ...