Lights-: Casey Polar

At sixteen, she built her first "auroral resonator"—a lash-up of copper coils, a Soviet-era oscilloscope, and a car battery. On clear, cold nights, she'd hike three miles to the edge of the frozen lagoon, point her antenna at the shimmering curtains, and listen. Most nights, nothing but static. But sometimes—sometimes—there was a rhythm under the crackle. A pattern. Like a heartbeat stuttering through light.

, which tracks solar activity and provides forecasts for aurora visibility. technical camera settings casey polar lights-

Yet, the results are unmatched. The air in Antarctica is incredibly dry and clear, free from the light pollution and industrial haze that affects many northern locations. When the aurora dances over the distinctive "tunnel" buildings of Casey or reflects off the multi-colored sea ice, it creates images that are stark, minimalist, and hauntingly beautiful. The green glow of the oxygen atoms often appears neon-bright against the deep indigo of the polar night, sometimes accompanied by At sixteen, she built her first "auroral resonator"—a