This spectacular aurora appeared in the early evening sky as I was driving towards the Abisko National Park in northern Sweden.

Last weekend, I finally realized my long-held dream to visit the far north of Sweden in the winter, hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights above the polar circle.

Thanks to being located in the rain shadow of a coastal mountain chain, Abisko is famous for having superb conditions for watching the auroras. In the event, it delivered the magic right on the money.

However, no matter your preparations and planning, there is a big element of luck in all this aurora chasing. This photo was taken... from a parking lot on the E10 motorway in the middle of nowhere :)