With green, yellow, red, or purple streaks, the Northern Lights dance through the sky. Suddenly it’s there—first cautiously, then bright and powerful. A few seconds later, it’s gone again. Or is it?
The Northern Lights are mesmerizing and maddening. If you see them, you’ll stare with your mouth wide open. If you don’t, they can keep you awake for nights as you scour the horizon for a glimpse of green.
Aurora borealis: light of the devil?
In the past, the aurora borealis was seen as a bad, devilish sign, especially when it turned red. Some thought the—flat—earth was surrounded by a sea of fire that would swallow the land. Others thought they saw fox tails burning in the sky.
The Northern Lights are formed at an altitude of 100 to 250 km above the Earth’s surface from electrically charged particles. These are carried by the solar wind and attracted by the magnetic North and South Poles. Near the poles, the electrical particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen. The result is the magical, dancing light we call aurora borealis (or australis, in the Southern Hemisphere).
Chances of seeing the Northern Lights
By keeping a close eye on the solar wind, we get an indication of how many particles are active and how high the chance of seeing the Northern Lights is. During our Northern Lights trips, we check this every day and try to be in the right place at the right time.
But of course, it remains an unpredictable phenomenon that is difficult to forecast with certainty—even for scientists. In any case, the region around Tromsø is the area with the most Northern Lights sightings in Europe. That won’t be the problem.
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Will you join us on the hunt for the Northern Lights?
We have plans for a Northern Lights photography trip (including a workshop in Tromsø). Do you want to be the first to know? Are you interested? Let us know right now.
