Question The Northern Lights

[Ceixah]

Want to plan a trip to see the Northern lights at some point next year -


anyone know best time of the year / best locations to go see?!

 

[DaGaffer]

Aurora Borealis Activity Now. Everything You Need to know.

 

[Ceixah]

Aurora Borealis Activity Now. Everything You Need to know.

Doesn't really show the best places to go to see them though


suppose I'd best organise something like a 2 week trip though to where-ever I go and be patient and hope I get to see !

 

[Aoami]

went to iceland for new years eve and we didnt see them. cool story huh?

 

[DaGaffer]

Doesn't really show the best places to go to see them though


suppose I'd best organise something like a 2 week trip though to where-ever I go and be patient and hope I get to see !

Its the further North the better; there isn't really a "best" location, viewing is driven by the weather forecast (you can have the most amazing Aurora in history but its fuck all use in a Snowstorm), so really your choice should be "which country in the Arctic circle would I like to visit?" You can see the Aurora further south, but for regular viewings you've only really got four or five countries to choose from, and you still might not see anything.

Personally, Alaska has been on my to-do list for years.

 

[Tuthmes]

 

[Ceixah]

Geilo Mountain Apartments | Cabins / Cottages


I'm looking at here...


then perhaps hiring a vehicle of some description to travel and see the lights.


problem is I'll have to extensively research hiring vehicles in norway !

thinking late october next year


edit: thinking of skiing also

 

[Zenith.UK]

There's a research station at Tromso in Norway that studies the aurora because it's almost exactly in the right place a lot of the time.

So I suggest Tromso.
The Northern Lights

 

[Ceixah]

yeh thats what I meant by hiring a vehicle of some description - hiring one and travelling to tromso

I want a hotel/cabin/apartment as close to tromso as possible with a ski resort nearby hopefully

 

[old.user4556]

I've seen the northern lights as far south as I am in Scotland.

 

[bainteor]

I saw them in Iceland around October/November. I am guessing the best place to see them would be the northern parts of Norway.

 

[Chosen]

As I served my 1st Army year in Tromsø, I saw it alot! The best time is ofcourse during the winters, I mostly saw it january tho.

But pack alot, because else you will freeze youre balls off

 

[Lamp]

I heard Greenland is supposed to be exceptionally good. Can't remember the location name, but its very isolated & très froid.

So remember to wear your vest.

 

[rynnor]

If you really want to see one you need to coincide your visit with the impact of a Core Mass Ejection (CME) from the sun hitting the earths atmosphere as these generate the best Aurora's.

Look here - SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids - one incoming early hours of Saturday it seems.

Next year is the Solar Maximum of the 11 year cycle so you should have your best chance then but this cycle has been rather weak.

 

[Zenith.UK]

Considered a package deal like these guys offer?
Northern Lights Tour to Norway - March 2012

This other site shows an up to date measurement of the current auroral oval.
Northern Hemisphere Enlarged View

And some pics of aurora taken this month...
Spaceweather.com Northern Lights photo gallery: September 2011

Remember that aurora are linked to solar activity which is itself an approx 11 year cycle. 2008 was the last minimum meaning that the middle of 2013 will be another maximum. That means lots of sunspots, lots of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and therefore lots of aurora.

We're also thinking ahead to March 2015 for the total solar eclipse across the North Atlantic. The best land spot will probably be the Faroe Isles, *IF* the cloud isn't too bad. Given the latitude of the Isles, it is *possible* that aurora might be visible in the middle of the solar eclipse. If so, it will be an exceptionally rare event.

 

[Job]

Saw them in the Canadian artic territories, funny thing was we went in to see a roof projection of them at an Inuit centre, which was all chanting and spooky, we came outside and the real thing was filling the sky.

 

[Zenith]

If you can, try to go to sweden over Norway, will always be 20-30% cheaper!

 

[Ceixah]

Indeed,

it looks like 6-7 of my friends from the UK are planning to go to .swe and stay in Dundret with a few swedish daoc chums! hopefully get some pro skiing in and with a bit of luck see the lights!