The center of our galaxy rises from the ocean late at night off the east coast of Sweden. The center of the Milky Way is the dense core of the galaxy, located about 25,000–28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. At its absolute center is the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (not visible in these photos, still under the sealine), which weighs about 4 million solar masses. The area is hidden behind thick space dust and is characterized by an extreme density of stars.
A beautiful view on the east coast with fluorescent water in blue and algae in red. In the sky, the Milky Way is seen in the Cygnus area with the large nebula NGC 7000. Low on the northern horizon, a faint aurora is also visible with nice colors and some pillars.
An aurora arc (northern lights arc) is the most classic and stable form of the northern lights. It looks like a luminous bridge spanning the sky, usually in a faint green color.
Characteristics and origin
Shape: The arc follows the Earth's magnetic latitudes. When you see an arc, you are actually looking at a small part of the giant aurora oval that surrounds the Earth's magnetic pole.
Color: The most common color is yellow-green, which is created when electrons collide with oxygen atoms at an altitude of about 100–150 km.
Development: A quiet arc is often the starting point. If geomagnetic activity increases, the arc begins to "dance", form folds (curtains) or split into several bands
A double aurora arc (aurora borealis double arc) occurs when the northern lights split into two or more parallel bands that stretch across the sky from horizon to horizon. The phenomenon is particularly captivating because it creates a symmetrical and structured view of the otherwise often chaotic light show.
How they are formed:
Magnetic field lines: Particles from the sun are guided by the Earth's magnetic field down towards the poles. A double arc often forms when geomagnetic activity increases, causing the aurora oval to expand and split into several discrete bands.
Geomagnetic substorms: During the most active phases of a "substorm", a single arc can quickly split into several parallel arcs.
Perspective: To an observer on the ground, the aurora appears as an arc due to the curvature of the Earth and the distance from the light show.
On the left, the constellations Cygnus and Cepheus run through one of the most star-dense and interesting parts of the Milky Way in the northern sky. These areas are particularly popular for both observation and astrophotography.
The "Handle" of the Big Dipper is seen at the top right, consisting of three bright stars that form a curved line. These stars are part of the larger constellation Ursa Major.Here are the three stars in the handle, counting from the dipper outwards:Alioth: The brightest star in the entire dipper. It is closest to the "dipper" itself.Mizar: The middle star. It is known to be a double star. If you have good eyesight (or binoculars), you can see a smaller, fainter star right next to it called Alcor.Alkaid: The star that sits at the far end of the handle.
A clear and cold night by the sea on planet Earth. In the sky, the constellation Orion is visible with the star factory Orion Nebula under Orion's belt, visible to the naked eye. Our star Sun was probably created from a similar star factory long ago. The Orion Nebula (M42) consists primarily of gas and dust, where the absolutely dominant elements are hydrogen and helium. It is an emission nebula that shines because young, hot stars ionize the gas.
The Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a rotating disk of gas and dust that surrounded the young Sun. By clumping together pebbles and cosmic dust, the planet grew. Originally, the Earth was a red-hot melt that cooled and formed a solid crust. Water was added later, probably via comet impacts. The theory of the origin of life is that life on Earth arose in the ocean about 3.5–3.8 billion years ago, probably in close proximity to hot springs on the seafloor where amino acids and simple bacteria were formed. The ocean served as a protective environment for the first organisms before oxygen and the ozone layer made life on land possible. The oldest traces of life are 3.5–3.7 billion years old and are found in marine environments. Early theories focused on the "primordial soup" in shallow sea bays, while more recent research often points to hot springs (hydrothermal vents) in deep water. Complex organic molecules (amino acids) formed in the water and assembled into simple bacteria. These first organisms were independent of oxygen, but later began to produce it through photosynthesis. Evolution started with simple microorganisms, followed by algae, and later the first multicellular animals developed in the sea. The picture shows algae and seaweed that fluoresce via UV light. They are clearly visible thanks to the current record low sea level. Algae contain chlorophyll for photosynthesis. When chlorophyll is hit by UV light or blue light, it absorbs the energy, but cannot use it all. The excess energy is emitted as a red or pink glow. This is called fluorescence and can often be seen underwater with special lighting or when analyzing algae. Under Orion, light pollution from civilization is seen, life has developed into an intelligent species Homo Sapiens Sapiens that eventually invented electricity. The place where the picture was taken, Nothamn Sweden, is known for its geology, 1.9 billion years ago there were explosive volcanoes here that spewed ash and lava over a shallow sea that covered the area. Early forms of life, microorganisms, lived on the seabed, which together built up limestone layers. Iron precipitated in the limestone and layers of iron ore were formed, something that is common throughout Bergslagen. Deep down, beneath the volcanoes, large magma chambers have solidified into the rocks diorite and gabbro. So the rocks in the picture were created during this time.
The Baltic Sea is currently experiencing historically low water levels. During February 2026, persistent high pressure and strong northeasterly winds pushed enormous amounts of water – almost 300 cubic kilometers – through the Öresund and the Belts towards the North Sea.
Historical levels: Several measuring stations have approached or broken previous records for low water levels.
Cause: A strong and stationary high pressure combined with cold winds has acted as a "pump" that has drained the sea of water.
Good news for the environment: The extremely low water level creates a "place" in the Baltic Sea. When the weather turns, this can pave the way for a strong influx of salt and oxygen-rich water from the Western Sea, which is crucial for saving oxygen-poor seabeds.
So why not head out to the east coast on a starry night! And indeed, the water level was very low. I could see barnacles on the rocks where the water's edge used to be. Amazing ice formations everywhere and when I shone UV light many interesting things under the ice fluoresced in different colors. I have no idea what it was, but probably algae, seaweed and minerals.
And on top of all this beauty the Northern Lights appeared with a nice spectacle!
I´ve red about giant crystals of feldspar and small red
gemstones of garnet in the rocks by the east coast of Sweden and really wanted
to see/photograph them. For 1.9 billion years ago, there were explosive
volcanoes there that spewed ash and lava over a shallow sea that covered the
area. Early forms of life, microorganisms, lived on the seabed, which together
built up limestone layers. Iron precipitated in the limestone and layers of
iron ore formed, something that is common throughout Bergslagen. Deep below the
volcanoes, large magma chambers have solidified into the rocks diorite and
gabbro.
After a couple of hours of driving, I arrived at the port
that was supposed to be near the place with the crystals. Then how to find them
was another question. But I had looked at Google Maps and saw a trail that I
could take and then turn off towards the coast. After a rather sweaty walk with
heavy equipment, I was able to locate the outcrops where the crystals would be.
a beautiful place with the sea right on the horizon. When darkness fell, I
could see a nice starry sky with noticeable airglow, faint northern lights in
the north and the Milky Way. After searching for the crystals with a headlamp
in the dark for a couple of hours I finally found them and solved them with the
UV lamp and the crystals fluorescent red in the dark – beautiful!!
Mussels play a super important role as the ocean's purification plant by filtering enormous amounts of water, combating eutrophication (nitrogen/phosphorus), creating habitats (biodiversity) and providing healthy food for people (protein, vitamins), making them a climate-smart and nutritious resource for a sustainable future in Sweden's aquatic environments and other aquatic environments.
Ecological roles Water purification: Mussels filter plankton and particles, purify the water and combat eutrophication by binding nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Habitat and biodiversity: Mussel beds serve as protection and substrate for many small animals, which increases biodiversity. Key species in the food web: They connect benthic life with free aquatic life, and some freshwater mussels use fish to disperse their larvae.
