Aurora borealis, Kiruna, Sweden

This surreal spectacle is one of the most coveted bucket list experiences out there. The mesmerising display appears when charged particles, which flow from the sun at 1.4 million km/h, hit the Earth’s magnetic field at the planet’s poles. The effect of these curtains of light is heightened by solar storms. There's never been a better time to view the mysterious aurora borealis - the current period of solar maximum activity is at its height - so hunt them out between November and March in northern Scandinavia, Alaska, Canada and even Scotland.