Archive · 18 Nov 2025
Indian Scholar's Arctic Dream: Witnessing Aurora Borealis
Silpa Mathew, a PhD student from Kerala, went on an adventure to the Arctic to see the beautiful Aurora Borealis.
She studies the ocean and had to deal with very cold temperatures and big waves.
She took pictures and videos of the trip and shared them on Instagram.
Even though it was hard, she loved it and wants to go back to the Arctic and Kerala someday.
Silpa Mathew, a 29-year-old PhD scholar, fulfilled her dream of witnessing the Aurora Borealis in the Arctic.
She is the only Indian participant in a Korean-led Arctic expedition, researching dissolved organic matter in marine environments.
Her expeditions have taken her to the East Siberian Sea, central Arctic Ocean, and Beaufort Sea, lasting three to four weeks each.
Despite harsh conditions, she captured moments of polar wildlife, sunsets, and ship life, gaining 58,000 Instagram followers.
She manages extreme cold and remote locations, with internet access being rare.
- Who
- Silpa Mathew, a 29-year-old PhD scholar from Kerala
- What
- Witnessed the Aurora Borealis and conducted research in the Arctic
- When
- 2020-2023, with the latest expedition in 2023
- Where
- East Siberian Sea, central Arctic Ocean, Beaufort Sea
- Why
- To fulfill her dream of seeing the Aurora Borealis and conduct research for her PhD
- Expedition Duration
- Three to four weeks
- Total Expeditions
- Three
- Instagram Followers
- 58,000
- Home Country
- Kerala, India
- University
- Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea