The Northern Lights are famously elusive, but residents of a town in eastern Canada get to enjoy them for 300 days of each year.
Many people harbour dreams of gazing up at the skies as they pulse with curtains of red, green and purple, yet finding yourself in northern enough climbs when the astrological scenario is just right and the skies clear is no mean feat.
Even if you head to some of the world's best destinations for seeing the Aurora Borealis there's no guarantee that you'll get to see them, unless you're blessed with clear Arctic night skies.
Step forward Churchill in Canada, a town with arguably the greatest chance of seeing the northern lights of anywhere in the world.
Each year residents of the unforgiving Manitoba settlement are treated to the equivalent of 10 whole months of the dazzling display.
Photos taken from Churchill show just how stunning the view often is, with great walls of pulsating light cascading over the Hudson Bay and snowy landscape beyond.
Although this alone is probably reason enough to find a way to the remote Canadian village, it has a few other qualities to hook you in.
The region is home to the largest beluga whale migration in the world and during peak season, playful pods can regularly be seen splashing through the Churchill River estuary.
During October and November an even rarer natural phenomenon can be spotted.
Polar bears, which were once understood to be completely solitary, join together in the warmer months and visit Churchill.
The gigantic mammals team up while the going is easy before setting out for themselves once the ice forms, at which point they become single minded in their hunting of ringed seals.
Starting in the 1980s, the town developed a sizable tourism industry focused on the migration habits of the polar bear, which can be safely viewed from specially modified vehicles built to navigate the tundra terrain.
Residents of the friendly town - which has a population of just 870 people - look out for one another in peak bear season by leaving their car doors open so anyone cornered has a means of shelter.
The polar bears, the belugas and the northern lights have made Churchill a big draw for holidaymakers looking to visit somewhere slightly different.
Getting there is not easy however.
There are no roads in and out of the town, which can only be reached by air or train.
From the UK you can fly to Winnipeg, which takes at least 15 hours and requires one stop, before taking another flight to Churchill.
Visiting by rail is a lot more environmentally friendly, but entails a 48-hour journey from Winnipeg alone.
