This photo was taken by James Woodend in Iceland's Vatnajökull National Park, is nothing short of stunning

Sep 19, 2014 22:55 GMT  ·  By

The auroras look frightfully stunning when seen from space, but this does not mean that they are not equally impressive when observed from down on the ground. Just check out the photo next to this article if you need proof.

The image was taken by a British photographer named James Woodend in Iceland's Vatnajökull National Park, and it shows a bright green aurora mirrored in a glacial lake.

If you can find it in yourself to look away from the gorgeous light show, you might also see the Vatnajökull Glacier in the background and bits and pieces of ice floating on the surface of the lake.

“Although this is not a strong aurora, they sometimes make the best reflection shots,” the photographer commented on this image in a statement, as cited by Space.

“The water was very still – you can see the icebergs floating in the lagoon and their reflections. In the background is the Vatnajökull Glacier,” he added.

Being as impressive as it is, it should not come as a surprise that this photo was the winner of the 2014 Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest organized by the Royal Observatory in Greewich, England.

“I love the combination of whites and blue in the glacier with the chilly green of the aurora in this wonderfully icy picture,” competition judge Marek Kukula told the press in an interview.

Furthermore, “We've had some amazing aurora pictures in the competition over the last six years, but this is the first time a photo of the northern lights has actually won the Astronomy Photographer of the Year prize.”