The Heavens Declare the Glory of God: Beautiful Northern Lights Images

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God; and the Firmament Sheweth his Handywork (Psalm 19:1 KJV).

A photographer who travelled into Siberia to capture the Northern Lights risked his life by equipping himself just a sword to protect him from wolves.

Russian Ruslan Akhemtsafin trekked into the remote Far Eastern Siberian Taiga region to capture his images last week.

Braving temperatures as low as minus 50C – as well as bears, wolves and frostbite – Ruslan waited for several nights to take the perfect picture.

Russian Ruslan Akhemtsafin trekked into the remote Far Eastern Siberian Taiga region to capture his images last week.

Ruslan has explained that he regularly gets frostbite on his face, legs and fingers while waiting for the perfect shot, but said he was now used to the freezing conditions.

It gets so cold in the wilderness he even designed a special fur coast for his camera to protect it from the harsh conditions.

The sensational images show the natural phenomenon at its majestic best, with swirls of green, red and purple reaching out into the cold night sky.

Displays of the Northern Lights occur when solar particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere and on impact emit burning gases that produce green, yellow and blue-coloured lights. The scientific term for the Lights is the aurora borealis.

The traditional places for optimum Northern Lights viewings are the northern reaches of Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, Canada and Alaska.

Ruslan followed information about the weather conditions in the days before he took his photographs to give himself the best chance of capturing the images.

Braving temperatures as low as minus 50C – as well as bears, wolves and frostbite – Ruslan waited for several nights to take the perfect picture.

 

Displays of the Northern Lights occur when solar particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere and on impact emit burning gases that produce green, yellow and blue-coloured lights.The Lights themselves can only be seen between September and March each year. They are notoriously unpredictable and cannot be forecast in advance. Rusland, who lives in the village of Aikhal in Yakutia, said: ‘I love photography and I love nature.

‘So, for me it is an ideal situation where I live as it’s a great region surrounded by fantastic nature and I can capture moments like the Northern Lights and share them with people.

‘Photography for me is when my soul tries to reach something so beautiful that you can’t describe it with words, but can you capture it, and then share it.

‘It’s never about money, it’s about this moment of beauty that I’ve been lucky to witness.’

The 37-year-old father-of-one is an amateur photographer and he has a normal full-time day job working as an engineer at a nearby diamond mine.

He was brought up in the Aikhal area having moved there from Kazakhstan with his parents and brother 30 years ago.

Ruslan has been taking photographs since he was a schoolboy using his Pentax MZ-30 film camera. In 2001 he began trying to capture images of the night sky.

He said: ‘My heart demanded much better results than what I was achieving with its limited abilities though.

The traditional places for optimum Northern Lights viewings are the northern reaches of Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, Canada and Alaska

‘Four years later, in 2005, I bought my first amateur Nikon D70, which brought me a step further to what I wanted.

‘I had been dreaming about a camera that would allow me take pictures of Northern Lights within split seconds since the sky changes so rapidly that if you miss a moment your picture is gone.

‘Of course no camera is supposed to work for four, five or six hours at temperatures like -50C and below, so I have to invent some tricks.

‘I cut a sleeve off an old fur coat, turned it inside out so that the fur is inside, and then cut holes for the lenses, tripod, viewfinder and LCD monitor.

Ruslan has been taking photographs since he was a schoolboy using his Pentax MZ-30 film camera. In 2001 he began trying to capture images of the night sky.

Ruslan travelled into Siberia to capture the Northern Lights, risking his life by equipping himself Samurai sword to protect him from wolves.

‘That helps to protect the camera, and it gives a bit of extra warmth to my hands.

‘Taking pictures of the Northern Lights is a bit of a sport. You have to follow information about solar flashes and then possible days of the sun’s winds reaching earth.

‘On the day you also monitor any rise in this activity and then finally rush with all the equipment to the shooting area.

‘I do get frostbite on my face, legs and fingers while waiting for the next shot, but I am quite used to it.’

Being alone in the Taiga – which is closer geographically to the United States than it is to the Russian capital Moscow – can have its dangers and Ruslan ensures he is armed, for security.

 Shooting the Northern Lights is extremely difficult as the sky changes within a split second, meaning many are unable to take the perfect shot.

The 37-year-old father-of-one is an amateur photographer and he has a normal full-time day job working as an engineer at a nearby diamond mine.

 It gets so cold in the wilderness he even designed a special fur coast for his camera to protect it from the harsh conditions.

He said: ‘I have always had to carry hunting knives when going on trips in case I meet any wolves. So far our paths have never crossed.

‘I am against killing animals but these days I carry a small samurai sword, called a Vakidzasi, which I bought on a website that specialises in Japanese and Korean made weapons.

‘I bought the most expensive one they had and it was just like they promised, so it cuts bottles and logs.

‘The sword weighs a bit more than a kilogram, but it’s worth carrying it around as it gives me a feeling of security and confidence while I am alone in Taiga.

‘My family supports me in my passion and applauds my little victories, when I catch a very good shot. So I am a very happy man indeed.’

 Source:  Daily Mail

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PROPHECY:

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names -Psalm 147:4 (KJV).

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse – Romans 1:20 (KJV).

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke (Acts 2:19 KJV).

Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:- Amos 5:8 (KJV).

The Fourth Day: God created the Sun, Moon, Stars

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. – Genesis 1:14-18 (KJV).

Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth – Isaiah 40:26 (KJV).

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork -Psalm 19:1 (KJV).

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number – Job 9:9-10 (KJV).

…”Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion?” Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites? “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth?…- Job 38:31-33

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. -1 Corinthians 15:41 (KJV).