The Northern Lights are one of nature’s most incredible phenomenas. This extraordinary display of light and color that brightens up the night sky in the Arctic Circle (and sometimes beyond) is a true natural marvel, and an experience that only a lucky few ever get to experience.
Where can you see them?
You can see them in Nordic countries: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland; parts of Russia, Northern Siberia, and in Canada, Northwest Territories, Alaska, Greenland, and Southern Greenland.
What Is the Best Time of Year to See the Northern Lights in Norway?
The Northern Lights can be seen when the sky is clear and dark, and the optimal conditions are usually when the weather is cold and dry. This is usually between September and late March, when the nights are long, dark, and very cold. Northern Norway offers the best and most consistent opportunities to see the Northern Lights. The peak season is usually from December to February, and the experience is a wonderful thing to do after a cruise to the fjords.
Most people’s first experience of the Northern Lights is breathtaking, and your first feeling will be that they must be magic! Despite the blisteringly cold weather, aurora hunters are often happy to stand and watch for over an hour. You have to stay up, as the best time to see them is between 11 PM and 2 AM when the sky is clear and dark. It is helpful to plan ahead and use weather forecasting, know where to go, and book a hotel with a wake-up service.
What Is the Aurora Borealis?
The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the Earth’s magnetic shield collides with electrically charged particles from the sun. The particles are drawn to the magnetic North Pole, where they interact with the upper atmosphere and release energy that appears as the Northern Lights. That’s the science.
And Aurora Borealis is far from a new phenomenon. The spectacle of the Northern Lights is described by very early storytellers and has given rise to many legends. Northern Lights symbols are found on Sami shamanistic drums. The lights have several different names in Sami, including one which means ‘the light which can be heard’. Poetry in motion!
During the Viking Age, the Vikings believed that the Northern Lights illuminating the sky were the reflections of the Valkyries’ armor as they led the warriors to Odin. Other Nordic legends claim the aurora was the breath of brave soldiers who died in combat. Today, locals often respectfully refer to the Northern lights as the Green Lady.
Whichever fantastical tale captures your imagination, one thing is certain: the Northern Lights were assigned great power and significance by the peoples of ancient Nordic societies. Whether a harbinger of good or evil, the lights were as magical and revered as they continue to be today.\
So, if you are going to the deep North, put on your warmest clothes and boots, eat a good hot meal, and go outside, ready for the most amazing and colorful outdoor “film” you will ever see. And watch out for the Valkyries!
You have to stay up, as the best time to see them is between 11 PM and 2 AM, when the sky is clear and dark.
However, you can also see them in the spring, and some say the autumnal months are the best time of year. It is helpful to plan ahead and use weather forecasting, know where to go, and book a hotel with a wake-up service or a tour guided by aurora professionals.
But, if you are a brave traveler, you can see them.
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