Seeing the Northern Lights

Seeing the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis if you want to sound posh, are one of the natural wonders of the world and have been documented from ancient times by Eskimos, American Indians and explorers. They even got a mention in the Old Testament. So what are the Northern Lights and what do they look like?

Well the Northern Lights are formed by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere. This results in a colourful light display in the sky that is particularly visible in places nearest to the North and South poles. This light display can start as one colour, perhaps a green haze on the horizon, before transforming the skies into magical backdrops as swirling lines of multiple colours fill the air.

Even just writing about how they look is giving me goosebumps, which goes some way to describe how awe-inspiring a spectacle the Northern Lights are. For many, experiencing such a natural phenomenon is clearly marked down as one of their top ten things to do. So how do you go about making this dream a reality and get the best shot at seeing the Aurora Borealis in all their finery?

Firstly, carefully consider the time of year you are going to travel. As the summer months descend, Northern countries become the lands of midnight sun, with daylight 24 hours a day. This doesn’t mean the Northern Lights aren’t there; it’s just not very likely that you’re going to spot them given that it is going to be broad daylight. In fact the aurora is actually at its most active around the equinoxes – that’s to say, in March and September so they are your best months for travelling.

Next consider where and how…In my opinion the best way to see the northern lights is with a coastal trip around Norway, perhaps focusing on the more northern ports in the Northern Cape. The longest running Norwegian cruise line is Hurtigruten and they run year round trips up and down the Norwegian coastlines. Just visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk to find out more about their schedules, port calls and fares.

With this kind of a trip not only will you venture into the far North of the country where the chances of spotting the Northern Lights at night are higher; you will also be treated to the spectacular views of the Norwegian Fjords en route. A perfect combination of natural beauty by both day and night.

Enjoy!

Guest post by Amellia H.