How to see the northern lights
On a sparkling clear winter night north of the Arctic Circle, you have the best chance of seeing it. A flickering magical show that has captivated humans for centuries, long before we even knew what it was – the northern lights.
How can we see the northern lights?
The light phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with molecules and atoms in the earth’s atmosphere. They are captured by the earth’s magnetic field and drawn towards the south or north pole. When the particles return to their normal state, they emit light in different colors. What determines how much of the northern lights we can see is the sun’s activity. The more activity on the sun, the more particles are emitted. This means that the northern lights are always there, more or less, depending on the sun’s activity.
If you are unsure whether what you see is the northern lights or just a cloud – take a photo!
But in order for us to be able to perceive the colorful light in the sky with our own eyes, a few things need to fall into place.
- The first is that it needs to be dark. Our best chance is during the dark months, from September to March, between 5 PM and 2 AM. If you want to see the northern lights, go to a place without light pollution. Get away from the city lights, to a dark forest or a frozen lake. From there, you can even perceive a faint glow that might not be visible among dazzling streetlights.
- It also needs to be clear in the sky. Clouds shadow and conceal the northern lights. A few thin clouds are fine, but a completely overcast sky will not reveal any northern lights. If you can see stars, there is a chance to see the northern lights as well.
If you are unsure whether what you see is the northern lights or just a cloud – take a photo with your phone! Most phone cameras today are good enough to capture the northern lights. Cameras amplify the light, and in pictures, the northern lights always appear much brighter than in reality.
How do you spot the northern lights?
You are now out in the forest in the dark, or out on a frozen lake. What should you be looking for in the sky? First of all, turn towards the north. Since the charged particles from the sun are drawn toward the poles, the northern lights are strongest around the North Pole. Very strong northern lights can play across the entire sky, but it is in the north that they start to build up. Look for a streak, a line, or a gray veil of clouds. Quite often they start small, then build up and flutter in the form of curtains or drapes. If it’s really strong, you can even see crowns, a form that resembles fireworks.
It’s not enough to just glance up now and then. Northern lights can come and go quickly, and you never know if what you see is the beginning of something bigger that lasts for hours or the night’s only show lasting just a few minutes.
Myths and folk beliefs
In the countries where the northern lights can be seen, there are, of course, folk beliefs and legends created by both fear and fascination. Among the Sami, it was said that the northern lights were the souls of the dead carrying messages from the other side. In northern Sweden, it was important to show respect to the northern lights – joking, whistling, laughing or pointing at them could have deadly consequences – you could be caught by the light and have your head cut off. In other places, people believed they were an omen of evil times, dangers, and threats.
Among the Sami, it was said that the northern lights were the souls of the dead carrying messages from the other side.
Across Europe, people believed, among other things, that the northern lights were sleighs on their way to a spectacular wedding celebration in the sky, that they arose when whales played, or that they were a reflection of large schools of herring. The ancient greeks and romans believed that the goddess of the dawn, Aurora, flew across the sky in her triumphal chariot to inform her siblings of yet another dawn. In Finland, the northern lights are called ‘revontulet,’ or fire fox, referring to the arctic foxes that were said to run so fast across the sky that their tails sparkled when they touched the mountainpeaks.
Does the northern light make any sound?
It is also said that the northern lights can produce a crackling or popping sound. However, this has not been fully scientifically proven, yet. But in fact, there is research from Aalto University in Finland that has managed to measure a crackling sound in connection with the northern lights. The phenomenon was explained by the fact that on certain cold still winter nights, a warmer layer can form about 80 meters up in the air. The inversion creates a kind of static electricity that accumulates in the air, and when it discharges, it can be heard from the ground. In Sami, the northern lights are called ‘guovssahas,’ which means ‘the light you can hear.’
In Sami, the northern lights are called ‘guovssahas,’ which means ‘the light you can hear.’
What is true or not when it comes to the northern lights is probably up to each person to decide. But one can certainly understand how the legends arose when seeing the shimmering light phenomenon dance across the sky on a dark evening – it is truly a magical experience!
Text: Cathrin Larsson
Quick facts about the Northern Lights
- Aurora Borealis is the Latin name for the northern lights.
- Polar lights can also be seen in the southern hemisphere around the magnetic south pole’s equivalent, the southern auroral oval. It is then called the southern lights or aurora australis in Latin.
- The light phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with molecules and atoms in the earth’s atmosphere. They are captured by the earth’s magnetic field and driven toward the poles. When the particles return to their normal state, they emit light in different colors.
- The colors can range from yellow-green, red, purple, and blue, the latter being very rare. The color we see depends on the altitude at which the sun’s charged particles hit the magnetosphere.
- Some years are especially good for northern lights – this is due to the sunspot cycle. Then the activity on the sun is greater and stronger, which gives more and more powerful northern lights. Right now, during 2024-2025, we are in such a maximum. The next one will be in about 11-15 years.
- Nowadays, there are many good apps that can provide forecasts for the likelihood of seeing the northern lights.
Links
– Norrsken — SMHI
– Högsäsong för norrsken – rymdfysikern förklarar fenomenet
Would you like to experience the northern light?
Northern light tour with dinner outside
Join us on this evening tour in a wintry lanscape and enjoy an outdoor dinner in the heat from the fire. We travel in sledges behind the snowmobile through the snow-covered forest up to a viewpoint just outside Jokkmokk. We’ll have dinner together and share life-stories while glancing the sky for northern light.
Rent winter clothes and boots
Rent the whole package with jacket, pants, boots, gloves and hats, or just the items you don’t have already.
Do you have any questions?
Send an email to info@laponiaadventures.com
We are happy to help and will answer you as soon as we can.