当北极光遇上火山喷发

The Northern Lights are effortlessly one of Earth's most visually striking natural spectacles.

北极光是地球上比较容易见到的最壮观的自然现象之一。

But when they shine over an eruption at the Icelandic volcano, the results are stunning, as these pictures show.

但是，如果北极光恰好出现在正在喷发的冰岛火山上空，那么这景象就如照片所现，可谓惊艳绝人。

Purple and blue lights in the sky contrast with bright yellow and red lava flowing from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, erupting from beneath its ice cap.

天空中紫色和蓝色的光辉与来自冰帽之下的艾雅法拉火山黄色和红色岩浆相辉应，形成了一道夺目的壮观景象。

Photographer James Appleton, 23, from Cambridge, risked his life trekking solo to the area and captured these incredible shots.

来自英国剑桥的23岁摄影师詹姆斯-阿普尔顿冒着生命的危险独自深入火山喷发区，捕捉到令人难以置信的壮观画面。

The Cambridge University graduate spent five days observing the first phase of the eruption from a shack in nearby Fimmvorouhals mountain pass.

这位剑桥大学毕业生躲在附近费姆劳哈斯山谷中的一个小屋子里，用了五天时间观测火山的第一轮喷发。

He spent seven hours battling biting wind and freezing temperatures to get as close to the eruption as possible, against the advice of local guides.

顶着凛冽刺骨的寒风，阿普尔不顾当地向导的劝告，跋涉了七个小时就是为了尽可能接近火山的喷发区。

Despite being trapped inside a shack there for 48 hours, Mr Appleton managed to trek within 100ft of the volcano.

虽然在小屋里被困48小时，阿普尔顿最终还是艰难到达距离火山100英里以内的地方。

He said he was 'impressed' with his shots of the vibrant lava flowing down the mountain.

据阿普尔顿介绍，他印象最深的就是看到炽热的岩浆滚滚向山下流去。

Mr Appleton said: 'It was definitely the highlight of my photographic career so far and something I will never forget.'

阿普尔顿说，“这是迄今为止，我摄影职业生涯中最精彩的经历。我永远不会忘记。”

'To be stood right in the action and watching the volcano spew out lava and growling with the peaceful Northern Lights flickering was just incredible.'

“你在看到滚滚的岩浆激烈地喷出的同时，火山上空平和的北极光也在闪烁生辉，这样的场景真的难以置信。”

'I had little more than three hours of sleep every night because I was just so determined to capture as much as I could.'

“每天晚上我睡眠的时间不超过三个小时，因为我决心要尽可能地捕捉到更多神奇、壮观的场面。”

'I have never been physically trapped by weather conditions before but it was completely worth it for the dramatic results.'

“我没有被当地的气候条件所困扰，我认为为了这戏剧性的摄影成果，值得。”

The Eyjafjallajökull eruption grounded flights across the UK and Europe in April after a cloud of volcanic ash which could damage jet engines drifted across the area.

四月份，艾雅法拉火山喷发造成了英国和欧洲其他多个国家航空瘫痪，因为火山喷发出来的火山灰云可能会引起飞机引擎故障。

Scientists say the Northern Lights, a natural phenomenon called aurora borealis, is created by the sun's super hot atmosphere, which blasts particles into the protective magnetic field surrounding the Earth. The magnetic field forces the particles toward the north and south poles.

科学家解释说，北极光是一种由太阳超高温大气层所引起的自然现象。来自太阳的带电粒子闯入地球周围的保护性磁场后，地球磁场迫使它们向南北两极运动。

About 60 to 200 miles overhead, the particles bump into the Earth's atmosphere and become electrically 'excited' - throwing off light of various colours.

在大约60到200英里（约合97到322公里）高的高空，这些带电粒子闯入地球大气层并被激活，从而释放出各种颜色的光芒。

Although the phenomenon occurs around the clock, the lights are only visible at night.

尽管这种现象每时每刻都会发生，但只有在夜间才可能看得到这种彩色光芒。

The best time of year to see them is during winter, when darkness in the upper latitudes stretches up to 24 hours.

一年中观测极光的最佳时间是在冬季，因为高纬度地区的每个黑夜最长会持续24小时。