A Timelapse of the Aurora Australis and Milky Way Over the South Pole

German timelapse photographer Martin Heck of Timestorm Films released this gorgeous 6-minute short film that showcases the beauty of the southern lights (AKA aurora australis) over the South Pole.

“The South Pole is one of the coldest, driest and harshest places on earth,” Heck writes. “The Aurora Australis can be seen together with the core of the Milky Way only here in Antarctica.”

Robert Schwarz, the CMB-Observatory (Cosmic Microwave Background) operator and technician at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, shot the photos using Canon 6D and 5D Mark III DSLRs. He braved nighttime temperatures of -70°C/-95°F, and special equipment had to be built to keep the cameras running for the long hours of shooting.

Heck handled the post-production in Adobe Lightroom, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, and LRTimelapse.

You can find more of Heck’s work on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

(via Martin Heck via Laughing Squid)