Northern lights over a stranded boat in Tasiilaq, Greenland
Northern lights over a stranded boat in Tasiilaq, Greenland (© Shane P. White/Minden Pictures)
Is this place named for the aurora's glow?
It's said that Erik the Red gave Greenland its deceptively pleasant name to draw unwitting settlers to the snowy subcontinent. The Viking leader wasn't totally fibbing, though: Greenland can turn pretty darn green as aurora borealis gives the glaciers a glow-up.
© Shane P. White/Minden Pictures