Northern Lights, what are they and where can we see them?

Aurora borealis

Spot the mysterious and magical northern lights It is the dream of many people. Almost everyone knows that they occur in the northern areas, but not everyone knows why they occur and why they can only be seen in certain places. Its beauty is so amazing and delights so many that it has become a great attraction for tourism in some countries, with guided tours and trips that are scheduled to go in search of these natural phenomena.

If you love dreaming of different trips that are an experience, seeing the Northern Lights is going to be another one of those outstanding trips. That is why you better take note of the best places to see them and the best times to do it. Of course, nature is capricious, and many times they do not occur in a week even if we are there every night, but there are months with more probability of seeing them.

What are the Northern Lights

Aurora borealis

You can recognize the northern lights by these sinuous lights, like colored smoke that spreads across the sky. We all recognize them, but few of us know why they occur. The reality is that they are the result of crossing the solar particles in the upper layer of the atmosphere. This solar wind collides with the Earth's magnetic field and is drawn towards the Poles, where the auroras can be seen.

Solar wind penetrates the upper atmosphere releasing energy and emitting lights of different colors. These lights are what are known as the Northern Lights. Although everyone thinks they are green, these are the most common, but the truth is that it is possible to see them in other shades. There are auroras that can range from red to bluish and violet tones.

Aurora borealis

Tourism of this natural phenomenon has been growing in recent years. They are also known as 'Northern Lights' or northern lights, in a more colloquial way. If we want to have possibilities to see them, we must go normally during the winter season, especially when the days are clear and it is cold. Depending on the place, there are months in which it is much more likely, so we must inform ourselves well before going to hunt and capture the auroras.

Places to see the Northern Lights

There are many places to see these manifestations of the solar winds on the horizon. Definitely the area of Norway, which is very close to the Arctic Circle, is one of the most frequent. In late autumn and winter is when there are more possibilities, in the months of October and February. The best hours are from six in the afternoon to one in the morning. If you don't want to miss a thing, you can even download a mobile application called 'Norway Lights'.

Aurora borealis

La Finnish Lapland It is another of the places to delight in these skies. In this country there is a legend that says that the auroras are the sparks produced by the tail of a fox when it crosses the arctic plateaus. The areas in which they appear most frequently are in the northern populations, such as Kilpisjärni and Inari. Sodankylä is home to the National Northern Lights Observatory, making it an interesting place to go. It should also be borne in mind that it is better to choose areas without light pollution, such as the Luusto Natural Park.

Greenland it is also a place to discover them. Here there are legends of Eskimos who say that these lights are the souls of the babies that are in the sky. Southern Greenland is well known for the frequency and intensity of these solar storms. Iceland is also another place to go to see them, and the best times are in late August and mid-April.

Organizing the trip

Aurora borealis

The first thing you should know is that there are quite a few places where you can see these auroras. However, some have the highest odds. If you want to see them in all their splendor, it is better to go to one of the organized excursionsSince the guides know the best places to see them and the trips are fully organized. Normally, these trips involve spending the night in cabins located in remote places, to be able to see the sky much better. Some include outdoor hot tubs and spas so you can view them from a relaxed space.

The winter months they will be the best to see them, so that's when you have to organize everything. In addition, it is important to be able to go for at least a week, since the auroras do not always appear in some days, it depends on the solar storms and the weather, so that we can have greater certainty when it comes to seeing this amazing natural spectacle.


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