Late on a September night, an intermittent stiff breeze blows through the undulating landscape of Syote, the southernmost fell of Finland. The gentle hills and valleys, filled with spruce forests are shrouded in darkness. The moonless inky black sky is dotted with stars. Towards the North, the horizon is a faint silhouette of dark hills. At close to midnight everything is silent and a distinct nip hangs in the air. Unexpectedly, the horizon is filled with a surreal green haze, faint and pulsating. The sight of Northern Lights (aurora borealis) is truly mesmerising. It is a fleeting show, gone all too soon, but the magic endures.
This year, across Europe and other parts but especially Iceland, the Northern Lights have enchanted people with brilliant and widespread displays. While the science behind the phenomenon is actually violent (it is caused by particles emitted by the sun crashing into atoms in the earth’s atmosphere) the result has fascinated mankind for centuries, and has been the stuff of folklore and magical tales of indigenous people.
The lights are commonly known to occur within 2,500 km of the North Pole, but on particularly hectic activity days, they can be seen further south. The season is usually from September to March though sightings vary depending on geography and auroral activity. Ideally, the best viewing is done when the skies are dark, cloudless and free from light pollution, so areas free from human habitation are the best bet. Northernmost countries are best suited for this. From Canada to Iceland to Lapland, these are some of the places with the best chances of catching this natural show.
Iceland
The aurora or northern lights shot with a Canon camera over the Víkurkirkja church at Vik in Iceland on a clear night. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
From capital Reykjavik to the remotest part, Iceland is in the enviable position of being a vast canvas for the Northern Lights. Though you will need to get away from city lights and find a dark area, it is less problematic in the wilderness. There are also some restaurants a little away from Reykjavik that offer viewing with themed drinks, dim lighting and wraparound windows for an enhanced experience – you can be cosy and warm while still getting a spectacular show. Many of the country’s natural sites, such as Asbyrgi Canyon, Thingvellir National park and Kirkjufell Mountain, are the most notable and ideal spots to see the lights.
Finland
Northern Lights in Snowy Forest in Finland. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
One of the best and easiest places to see the Northern Lights is in the Finnish Lapland, an expansive region, comprising more than 20 districts, in Northern Finland. Saariselka and Inari, within the Arctic Circle are incredibly beautiful places and you can combine reindeer sled rides, snowmobile drives, snow shoeing and tobogganing during the day with spectacular light viewing at night. This is also the land of the indigenous Sami, and their culture and heritage is everywhere to see and experience. If fantasy and festival spirit is what speaks to you, then Rovaniemi, the land of Santa Claus is the perfect place. While these tend to get crowded during aurora season, just South of the Lapland border, places like Syote, especially in the national park region, offer great viewing opportunities. There are glass igloos, glass villas by the sea and glass dome cabins by several lakes for unrestricted viewing pleasure.
Norway
Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, in Norway's Ringvassøya Tromsø. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Like Finland, Norway has a plethora of vantage points where the Northern Lights are visible. But the best place is undoubtedly Tromso in Northern Norway, which is located in the auroral oval. While there are several ways to experience the lights, a fun way is to take the cable car up to the summit of Mount Storsteinen for the best possible views in the area. If you prefer a much cosier ambience, then the seats, and perhaps even drinks, from the Skybar should do the trick. But if it is the wild outdoors that interest you, then Svalbard, the expansive Norwegian archipelago is the place. This is also the place for a unique related phenomenon – the lights are sometimes visible during the day too.
Yukon, Canada
Looking over Fish Lake at Yukon, Canada. (Photo: Anthony DeLorenzo via Wikimedia Commons)
Canada’s Northwestern most province, Yukon, is also among its least populated. From capital Whitehorse, which is closer to the province’s Southern border, to the unending expanse of outdoors stretching Northwards, it is possible to see magnificent auroral activity for almost eight months – from August to April. This is among the few places where it is possible to see not just green but neon shades of yellow, orange, blue and purple, though most of these are visible quite occasionally. Stay in a viewing chalet or book one of the many guided viewing sessions on offer.
Ladakh
An explosion on the Sun hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) towards our planet. This geomagnetic or solar storm caused the Northern Lights to descend to never-seen-before mid-to-low latitudes over the US, in brightly-lit European cities, and even over China and India earlier this year.
Though India is far too south for any Northern Lights visibility, a related phenomenon was seen in the mountains of Ladakh for the first time in recorded history a few years ago. Witnessed at Hanle, which is at an altitude of 5290 mts, where the Indian Astronominal Observatory is located, the event was rare and red band of the auroral arc was seen. However, since the Northern Lights are themselves unpredictable, the chance of seeing them in Ladakh again are also uncertain but scientists agree it cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, the night sky and views of the Milky Way are guaranteed.
Australia and New Zealand
Southern Lights in New Zealand. (Photo: Facebook)
Like the Northern Lights, lights are also seen around the Southern pole and are called Aurora Australis or Southern Lights. There is also some speculation that the Southern Lights are often mirrors of Northern Lights. Though widely visible in Antarctica, since it is inhabited only by research stations, it is recorded less. However, they are visible from several parts of Australia (Tasmania and Victoria) and New Zealand (Stewart Island, Otago Peninsula and Great Barrier Island). There are also flights offered for aurora viewing, which fly around till the lights are spotted