Northern Lights Viewing Tips (2024)

FAQs

What are the two most important things needed to see the northern lights? ›

The northern lights depend on a favorable solar weather forecast and also the right atmospheric conditions. They require a clear, dark, ideally moonless sky, a northerly latitude, and a lot of patience. They're better viewed in fall, winter, and spring, thanks to longer hours of darkness.

The Northern Lights are a luminous glow of our earth's upper atmosphere. This is caused by energetic particles from the sun colliding with oxygen and nitrogen particles in the atmosphere. This event happens around the magnetic North Pole (called Aurora Borealis) and South Pole (Aurora Australis).

The aurora veteran, with over 15 years of seeing the aurora aboard Hurtigruten, explains “The Northern Lights are caused by electrically charged particles that are released by the Sun and travel 150 million kilometres across space to the Earth.”

If you're planning an aurora-viewing trip, the best time is throughout the winter months. Anytime between late September to late March is a good time for northern lights hunting as the long nights provide ample aurora viewing opportunities.

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?

Thought to be the souls of the dead, the Sámi believed you shouldn't talk about the Northern Lights. It was also dangerous to tease them by waving, whistling, or singing under them, as this would alert the lights to your presence.

What time is best to view the northern lights tonight? ›

Northern Lights Viewing Tips

The best times to view the northern lights are around midnight, but they can often be seen anytime from 9pm to 3am.

If your smartphone has a “Night Mode” feature, that should be good enough to get a more than impressive souvenir shot of the aurora. It likely means a long exposure of between five and 10 seconds, which will look much better if you do three things: Use your primary lens, NOT the super-wide lens (which is inferior).

While scientists can give advance warning of incoming solar storms which might trigger the aurora, it is not possible to accurately predict a precise time or place where the northern lights will appear.

The darker the better

“Practise good aurora-viewing etiquette,” advises Tom. “Use a red torch to find your way in the dark, as this colour doesn't affect our natural night vision. And be careful not to shine lights in anyone's eyes. You'll be thankful that no one does it to you!”

Solar activity is unpredictable, and even the most sophisticated tools and techniques cannot guarantee that the Aurora will occur. Moreover, even if the Northern Lights are predicted, they may not always be visible. Cloud cover, light pollution, and other factors can obscure the Aurora and make it difficult to see.

You should expect cool temperatures dipping below zero degrees Celsius so dressing in warm layers is a smart choice. Other items to wear include thermal socks, comfortable shoes or boots, winter jacket, hat, gloves and scarf. Some of this equipment also comes in handy if you are going to photograph the Northern Lights.

It must be dark: Go out at night. Get away from city lights. The full moon will also diminish the apparent brightness of the aurora (not the actual brightness). One caveat that people often neglect to think of is that the high latitudes where aurora occur are also latitudes where it doesn't get dark in the summer.

As the incoming particles collide with atoms and molecules of oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth's upper atmosphere, they excite them to produce light – the light of the aurora.