Icelandic Legends and Aurora

Legends collide in this dramatic vista of land, sea, and sky. The land is Iceland, specifically Vk Mrdal , a southern village known for its beautiful black sand beaches . The sea, the Atlantic Ocean , surrounds Reynisdrangar , a sea stack of eroded basaltic rock pillars that Icelandic folklore tells are the petrified remains of trolls once attempting to drag a three-masted ship onto land. Watching from overhead and shining bright on the upper right is the god of the sky , according to Greek mythology : the planet Jupiter . Also visible in the sky are several other Greek legends encapsulated as constellations , including a lion ( Leo ), a big bear ( Ursa Major ), and a water snake ( Hydra ). One might guess that all of this commotion caused the spectacular aurora pictured -- but really it was just explosions from the Sun .