We have all heard at least once about the Aurora Borealis, a.k.a Northern Lights but….. where do we even start if we would like to see them? Now I give it for granted, but I want to share the basics about it and how you can see them too if you are interested!

This is by far one of my favourite topics to write about and yet a difficult one. I won´t get too technical about the science behind the phenomenon, if you do want to understand in more detail what causes this beautiful spectacle, I recommend watching this official Youtube video from Visit Norway!! Simple and easy to understand!

What is the best place to see the Northern Lights?

Many people ask this question and depending on who is writing, they will recommend one country or another. My answer is based in 3 factors:

Go as north as possible!

• Yes, that may not sound like a lot of help but it´s the best advice I can give you!  Why? Even though the Aurora can be seen in different places, the further North you are it means the intensity does not HAVE to be so strong to be seen.  So, let´s say the Aurora is relatively quiet in a certain night, in that case your chances to see something are considerably higher if you are in e.g Utsjoki, Finland which is 450 KM above the Arctic Circle… compared to being in Rovaniemi, also in northern Finland but located in the Arctic circle, even though that is already quite North if you think about it from the world perspective 😉 So even in the northern locations there are differences that can enhance your experience big time!!!  
• I want to be clear that you can totally see Northern lights in Iceland or Rovaniemi for example (and I have!)  which are locations that are hugely advertised, but it´s a scientific fact that you can find locations further north and it´s also a fact that your chances will be increased at least when it comes the Aurora activity alone .. the weather is unpredictable regardless of your location, unfortunately.

Stay in a place away from the city!

• Find a place you can stay that is already away from city lights and pollution, or as much as possible.  You can be already at the top of the world but it won´t fully work out if you are not in full darkness, and if it does it will not look as bright as it could be with that “noise” in your eyes. You need to allow some time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and therefore catch the colours as you are supposed to.  If the northern lights are still playing hard to get, in a clear night you can be rewarded with an incredible display of stars just out of your accommodation. I personally found this fascinating!  

Find a place that is naturally beautiful even without the lights!

•  In this case I have good news for you, many northern locations are beautiful anyway!! (Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Alaska) but be mentally prepared to the fact that the weather may not cooperate, especially if you don´t have too many days to spare in a northern location. But, in the same way as the location creates some differences, there might be places that are more interesting to you than others and that is a matter of perspective.  
• I personally fell in love with the Finnish Lapland region in winter, therefore I can easily recommend Utsjoki, Inari or Ivalo in Finland which are surrounded by beautiful and unspoiled scenery.  Same goes for northern Norway or Iceland but then we have to come back to advice # 2.. it may be tempting to be in Tromso for example but the key is not to be in the city center especially in bigger cities.
• I still recommend finding smaller places totally outside in the wilderness. If you are somewhere in between, you can decide to go to beautiful Tromso, which is considerably North but spend your nights out of the city to increase your chances.   

Best time to see the Northern Lights

The season to see the Northern Lights is usually between early September and early April, depending on the location as it depends on how dark it is. However, speaking to different guides and based on my own experience my 2 recommended seasons to visit are September and March.

Autumn:

On the contraire of the common belief that it needs to be extremely cold to see them, it is rather about darkness. In the autumn you already get some hours of darkness, the weather can be cool already but nothing compared to the harsh winter temperatures, plus the autumn colors you can enjoy in these latitudes.

In addition, the equinoxes tend to bring some high activity. This is a perfect time to get reflections on the sea and lakes that are a dream for photography perspective!

CONS: The one thing I have noticed in the north of Finland at least is that autumns lately are having many cloudy days. This is unpredictable but seems to be a trend, the activity definitely is active, so you need to allow yourself several days to find clear skies.

March.

In this month it can get really cold indeed but in exchange there are better possibilities to have clear crisp nights. Usually there is still snow on the ground on the countryside that could light up your pictures. The location of the milky way is simply spectacular and I could swear the starry sky looks even more stunning this time of the year.

Same as September, the equinox is known for producing great northern lights and this is a popular season for Aurora chasers.

What to take into account to see the Northern Lights?

The one thing we cannot control, and sadly with climate change is getting even worse to predict is the weather!  The Aurora can be dancing gracefully but if the sky is cloudy, I´m sorry to say you will not see it.  This can lead to heartbreak stories (yes, been there myself!! It´s not a nice feeling ☹  but I want to be realistic with you. The weather can make all the difference in your chasing experience.

FAQ:  I know it´s not always possible to find accommodation out of the city because I have been in such position myself (if you are not driving, for example) In that case, I strongly recommend investing in Aurora guided tours or rent a car. However, local people who are dedicated to chasing the northern lights are experts in tracing the weather and real time indicators, they know all the roads, open spaces facing the North and tricks in order to drive you to the best possible place. In my case, since I was not driving (I´m scared of driving in the snow!) often my best option was to arrange this, for 2 reasons;

Finding the best spot

• If it´s cloudy in your location but there is a chance some kilometers away, a decent guide will drive as much as needed. Just pay attention and spend quality time in selecting the company or guide!!! There are many tours out there that stick to certain schedule no matter what you see (horrible, horrible.. horror! Stay away from that please!), but luckily there are others and often independent chasers who will drive even hundreds of kilometers to try to see the lights. Do investigate in advance and ask for references.  Tours are on average 120 EURs at least.. In Finland, I can recommend from personal experience these 2 companies / entrepreneurs:

Utsjoki – Aurora Holidays

https://www.facebook.com/auroraholidays/

Rovaniemi / Levi

https://www.facebook.com/aurorahuntinglapland

Photography

• Not everybody has the fanciest professional cameras, especially nowadays where we have high quality cameras in our pocket with our amazing smartphones
  • —-a standing ovation for this technology that has changed millions of travellers ability to capture and share the beauty of the world.— , oops deviation!!  
• Yes, the pictures! Although phones like Samsung S10 and above or Iphones can get you fairly decent pictures, it cannot compare to the final quality of a professional camera. Guides doing this professionally having cameras worth couple of thousand euros, but in return you can get incredible pictures that will make all your friends and family -secretly- jealous! If you can afford it, do it!  If you already have a very good camera, simply learn the settings, it´s actually not that difficult.