Moonrise

It's still not completely dark here, with an obvious glow remaining along the horizon, but we are gradually approaching a nice, dark, star-filled night. At least, we were.

The full moon rose a couple of days ago, bathing the world once again in light. It's as if someone suddenly turned on a spotlight - the moon is bright enough that it hurts to look at, and flags, buildings and people have all grown distinct shadows.

Unfortunately, the outdoors are now so well illuminated that only the strongest auroras show through. After two weeks of daily displays, I quite miss the auroral company on my commute.

Without their motion to bring the sky to life, we've returned to an ageless world of ice and snow. It's a lovely silver-white light that floods down on us now, and the world has truly taken on a dreamlike appearance.

Of course, a handful of auroras do still show through, and with the world now awash in light, can make for spectacular scenes. Every time I think I've hit the visual high point of this place, something else comes along to correct me.