Editor's Note: The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are seen when the solar wind stream hits Earth's magnetic field, sparking bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. The photos and comments beneath them are by photographer Bjorn Jorgensen who lives in Tromso in northern Norway. Kevin, a friend and reader of Axis of Logic sent them to us. After viewing these amazing photos, dwell for a few minutes on Neil Young's song, Pocahantas with opening lines ...

Aurora borealis
The icy sky at night
Paddles cut the water
In a long and hurried flight
From the white man
To the fields of green
And the homeland
We've never seen.

- Les Blough, Editor

A powerful outburst of auroras over the open sea at Eggum on the Lofoten islands in Norway.

This photo was taken in March 2008, early at night, so the colour from the sunset is still visible. The bright colour from the Aurora reflects in the fjord. The bright white star is actually the planet Venus. From Ersfjord close to Tromso, North Norway.

This self-portrait taken using the camera's self-timer. The full moon creates reflections in the the fjord, and the moonlight also brightens the landscape and mountains.

The aurora borealis is reflected in Kaldfjord (Cold fjord) near Tromso in Northern Norway.

Very strong auroras on this night in March 2008. I waited for an hour, when suddenly the sky exploded in green, and it was all over in 15 minutes. From Ersfjord close to Tromso.

Another picture taken on the night with strong auroras in March 2008 at Ersfjord close to Tromso.

Another picture taken on that night in March 2008 at Ersfjord.

Here the auroras form a wavy, spiral shape over red outhouses. This photo was taken on the island of Kvaloya, a few kilometres from Tromso in North Norway.

These bright green auroras seem to be coming from this red boathouse. This was also taken near Tromso.

Green auroras are by far the most common, but they can sometimes show up in purple and deep red, depending on what type of gas the solar wind particles hit in the atmosphere.

This photo was taken just after sunset in September 2008, in the Lofoten islands. The sea had turned green from the reflections of the auroras.

The moonlight brightens the snowy landscape in this photo taken at Ersfjord. The bright spot of light on the rock is from a streetlamp 100 metres away.

A powerful aurora casts a green glow on the snow on a desolate road on the island of Kvaloya.

A tree is silhouetted against a green sky.

This photo was taken in September 2008, in the Lofoten islands. It was early at night, so the colours from the sunset were still visible.

It is unusual to see the Northern Lights against such a blue sky. This was taken in April, at the end of the Aurora season.

Powerful auroras over the city of Tromso, reflecting in the still sea.

The Telegraph