The Auroral band stretches across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada. We feature holidays to all of these countries, and every holiday we offer has been expertly designed to maximise your opportunity to see the Northern Lights.
Where are you guaranteed to see the Northern Lights?
Where is the best place to see the northern lights? The northern lights most commonly occur within the geographic area beneath the auroral oval. It encompasses latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees and takes in Iceland, northern parts of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, Canada and Alaska as well as southern Greenland.
Is 2022 a good year to see Northern Lights?
“There will continue to be aurora viewing opportunities in 2022,” Steenburgh said. “The solar cycle is indeed ramping up and as solar activity increases, so do the chances for Earth-directed blobs of plasma, the coronal mass ejections, which drive the geomagnetic storms and aurora.”
Where are the Northern Lights most commonly seen?
The northern lights, also called the aurora borealis, is the name given to the colorful, celestial light displays famous across the northern latitudes. They are most commonly seen in Northern Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, and Russia.
What month are you most likely to see the Northern Lights?
WHEN’S THE BEST MONTH TO SPOT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS? As you’d expect, dark, clear skies contribute to a Northern Lights sighting, so September to mid-April is the best time to plan that trip and make the most of those long dark nights.
How can I increase my chances of seeing the Northern Lights?
Head north. The best way to see the northern lights is to head north. Most of the molecular activity that causes the northern lights happens near the Earth’s magnetic poles. For that reason, the Arctic region is an ideal location for hunting the aurora.
Is Norway or Iceland better for Northern Lights?
Those hoping to spot the Northern Lights should always choose Norway, while wildlife-lovers are better catered to in Iceland.
Do the Northern Lights happen every night?
No. Huge geomagnetic storms, the kind that can cause very intense displays of the northern lights, don’t happen every night, even during solar maximum. During solar minimum, they still happen, just less frequently.
How long do Northern Lights last?
They don’t usually exhibit for long – they may only show for a few minutes, then glide away before returning. A good display may last for no longer than 15-30 minutes at a time, although if you’re really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer.
Where is the best place to see the Northern Lights in 2022?
Fairbanks, Alaska, is the best place to see the Northern Lights in the United States. That doesn’t mean that you can’t see the Northern Lights in other US states or areas in Alaska, but this is the accessible city with the highest chances of seeing the Aurora.
How rare is seeing Northern Lights?
To observers at far-northern latitudes, they’re a frequent occurrence, but many who live in more temperate climates have never seen them, even though they’re sometimes seen as far south as 35 degrees north latitude.
How often do the Northern Lights happen?
Fortunately, they occur frequently. “The northern lights are happening 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” said photographer Chad Blakely, owner of the northern lights tour company Lights Over Lapland (opens in new tab).
What time is best to see the Northern Lights tonight?
The Best Time of Day
Once darkness falls, the Aurora can be visible at any time of day and we have seen them as early as 4pm and as late as 6am (that was quite a night!). Nevertheless, the optimum time seems to be around 9.30pm to 1am and that is when we concentrate the majority of our searches.
Can you see the Northern Lights with the naked eye?
Auroras appear to the naked eye as a very faint, white glow in the night sky to the magnetic north. Many auroras are totally invisible to the naked eye or can only be seen by looking at them indirectly, i.e. out of the corner of your eye. It is extremely rare to see them in colour with the naked eye.
Can you see Northern Lights from a plane?
A passenger got a stunning aerial view of the aurora borealis thanks to a perfectly timed flight. The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, is an astronomical phenomenon where curtains of colored light fill the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere.
What year Will Northern Lights peak?
2025
The current solar cycle began in 2019 at the last solar minimum and the maximum is predicted to occur in 2025. Solar activity is already massively increased compared to just a few years ago and it will continue to increase—and cause more (and more intense) displays of aurora—through 2026 or 2027.
What are the two most important things needed to see the Northern Lights?
The best conditions for seeing the Northern Lights include a few key factors: Mainly dark skies, and very few clouds. And, usually, the less light pollution in the sky, the better. This leads many people to profess that you won’t see the aurora if the moon is shining brightly.
Do you have to face north to see the Northern Lights?
To see the lights, you need to be north – way north. Generally, this means you need to be above the Arctic Circle (66° 34′ N) into an area called the aurora belt. That’s way, way up there. The further north you go, the better your chances of seeing them.
Can Northern Lights be touched?
Secondly, the aurora are essentially photon emissions from nitrogen and oxygen molecules, so you can’t really touch it (as much as you can ‘touch’ a sunbeam). Even the gas that emits the photons is extremely tenuous.
What country has the prettiest Northern Lights?
The best places to see the aurora borealis are the Nordic countries of Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, which lie within or near the Arctic Circle. You could also look for them in Russia, Alaska, and Canada’s northwest territories. Why are the Nordic destinations ideal for northern lights viewing?
What country has the most beautiful northern lights?
What are the best places to see the Northern Lights?
- Tromso, Norway. Based in the heart of the aurora zone in the Norwegian Arctic, the city is widely regarded as one of the world’s best places to see the Northern Lights.
- Swedish Lapland.
- Reykjavik, Iceland.
- Yukon, Canada.
- Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland.
- Ilulissat, Greenland.