Northern lights or aurora borealis is a great phenomenom that we can see in Scandinavia and in Iceland. But you can also see this in other countries, sometimes, like Scotland, Canada, or Groenland. If you want to see aurora borealis, you need to move in these countries during the cold season, in fact the chance to see will be during the winter, when the nights are very long and the temperature is cold. However, the most you will be in the north, the most the number of month will increase to see the phenomenom. For example in Lapland, above the polar circle, you will have the possibility to see this from octobre to april. More in the south it will be able to be just beetween december and february.

Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.

How this can happen ?

The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere. Variations in colour are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding. The most common auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red aurora.

Best places to see the aurora :

Sweden

The biggest town in North sweden is Kiruna. There is the ICEHOTEL, mountainous Abisko National Park, the local Sami culture, and plentiful reindeer. A short drive from the town takes you to a good spot for aurora viewing. The weather here is much more stable than the Norwegian coast, but it’s colder too.

Norway

There are many hot spots on offer here but some good ones include Svalbard, Tromso, The Lofoten Islands, Harstad, Bodo, Alta. But the weather is sometimes complicated and very changeable.

Iceland

It is simple all the country is very good to see the aurora. So you will have the possibilty to see that from every places. In Reykjavik you can find special spot and observatory.

Canada

Canada is an aurora viewing paradise, thanks to its northern latitude and low light pollution; elsewhere in the country.

Alaska

Located just two degrees below the Arctic near international airport and close to the impressive Denali National Park, Fairbanks is the best place in the U.S. to take in the northern lights. It even has its own forecast system and offers tours to take visitors far from city lights.

 

If you want to have forecast about the northern lights located in Europe, you can go on the link.