Northern Glow Spans Iceland and Canada

A vivid auroral display lit skies over the Denmark Strait, Iceland, and eastern Canada during a minor geomagnetic storm in February 2026. The VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite captured images in the early morning hours of February 16.

The VIIRS day-night band detects nighttime light across wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering to isolate city lights, reflected moonlight, and auroras. Satellite data are shown in grayscale, while observers on the ground see auroras in colors ranging from green—the most common—to purple and red.

One image, taken at 04:45 Universal Time (4:45 a.m. local time in Reykjavík), shows ribbons of light shimmering over the Denmark Strait and Iceland. A second image, captured around 06:30 UT (1:30 a.m. in Montreal), shows the lights dancing above Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Iceland, Canada, Reykjavik, Quebec, Montreal, Newfoundland and Labrador, Denmark Strait

northern lights, aurora borealis, geomagnetic storm, viirs, suomi npp, day-night band, denmark strait, iceland, quebec, reykjavik