Kjell Henriksen Observatory Dec 28, 2021

Kjell Henriksen Observatory

While these domes look like they should be in a movie set depicting a galaxy far, far away, they"re actually part of a scientific research station here on planet Earth. Kjell Henriksen Observatory is named for a Norwegian scientist whose research focused on the polar lights. The aurora borealis is frequently seen here, deep within the Arctic Circle in Norway"s remote Svalbard territory. And the observatory is specially designed to observe the aurora. Since it opened in 2008, the observatory has become a destination for atmospheric scientists, who can rent one of these 30 glass-topped rooms built to house high-end optical instruments.

© Vincent Fournier/Gallery Stock

palette

Today in History

Dec 28, 2018A species no longer at risk
Dec 28, 2019Did they forget to fly south?
Dec 28, 2020Wildcat in a winter wonderland
Dec 28, 2022Maloja, Switzerland
Dec 28, 202350 years of the Endangered Species Act
Dec 28, 2024Endangered Species Act
Dec 28, 2025Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 10, 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado
Feb 27, 2023International Polar Bear Day
Mar 24, 2018Crimson-rumped toucanet in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Ecuador
Feb 24, 2020Wind horses carry wishes for a new year
Sep 19, 2018Talk like a pirate—or walk the plank
Feb 5, 2020Frozen beauty
Sep 12, 2024World Dolphin Day
Jan 2, 2025Ardez, Graubunden, Switzerland
Jan 18, 2022Winnie-the-Pooh Day
Oct 3, 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Feb 12, 2026Darwin Day
Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dec 20, 2018Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
Sep 10, 2023Grandparents Day
Oct 24, 2025Night view of the RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California
Mar 28, 2019Let us introduce you…
May 16, 20193,000 years of history
Apr 16, 2024Union Square, Manhattan
Nov 14, 2021First Cliff Walk
Oct 4, 2023World Space Week
Jul 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy
Nov 2, 2020Waiting for winter
Sep 30, 2018Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
Sep 6, 2024Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
Jul 25, 2025Colorful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
May 5, 2019Celebrating Mexico in a Cultural Capital
Apr 25, 2026World Penguin Day
Dec 24, 2022Christmas Eve
Sep 2, 2019Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera
Feb 22, 2025Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri