Swedish photographer sees aurora AND the Milky Way

Saturday, September 13, 2014, 1:10 PM - There's still a chance of glimpsing the aurora borealis tonight, depending on where you are in Canada.

But if, as a photographer, you wanted the shot of a lifetime, it seems the place to be earlier this month was Sweden.

That's where photographer Göran Strand snapped this amazing shot of the aurora as it danced above the town of Östersund earlier this month, a few days after a solar ejection sent charged particles into our skies.

There are plenty of pictures around of auroras (we showcase ten of the best viewer-submitted ones above), but Strand managed to crown the vibrant cosmic ribbon with a full-on view of the Milky Way. And if you look carefully, you can even see the vivid green reflected off of Lake Storsjön.

The fanciful folks at NASA reckoned the aurora's green and purple layers made it look like a cupcake when they made it their Astronomy Picture of the Day last week. We don't see it ourselves, but it is a thing of beauty nonetheless.

As for Strand, we're not joking in the least when we say this brilliant shot isn't even his best. Hop on over to his photography website and feast your eyes. You can also follow him on Twitter and check out his Facebook page.

Meanwhile in Canada, we're ideally situated to watch the auroral after effects of last week's solar flares. The best night was Friday night, but the pre-dawn hours Sunday could still have a show.

SEE ONE? If you manage to snap the aurora, upload your pictures and videos here.