Northern lights over a stranded boat in Tasiilaq, Greenland

© Shane P. White/Minden Picture

Northern lights aglow. Tasiilaq, Greenland

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 when the aurora borealis gives the glaciers a glow-up.

This verdant display was captured in Tasiilaq, the largest settlement on the island's east coast. Though Tasiilaq is home to fewer than 2,000 people, it's one of Greenland's fastest-growing towns. Plus, regular plane hops from Reykjavik, Iceland—about 500 miles east—add the occasional cold-tolerant tourist to the population.