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Original poster

Anyone seen the Northern Lights?

99 replies

RhodaCamel · 03/01/2020 08:50

It is my ultimate dream to see the Northern Lights.
I know they are known to be a bit elusive and a trip to find them can be a bit hit and miss, ideally I would like to try to catch them in Norway as, for some reason I just love the look of the place and have always felt a connection to the country, so even if I don’t get to see them I will hopefully enjoy the trip.
Have any of you seen the Northern Lights? Where did you go and at what time of the year?

OP posts:
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Greenteandchives · 03/01/2020 08:53

Yes I have. We took a cruise up the Norway coast into the Arctic Circle and saw them every night. No light pollution at sea.

Greenteandchives · 03/01/2020 08:56

Forgot to say this was February and very very cold.

Biscuitsdisappear · 03/01/2020 10:23

Yes, born and brought up in north Scotland and saw them every winter.

ShamefulBlanket · 03/01/2020 10:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CherryCheezcake · 03/01/2020 10:31

Yes, in York about 35 years ago!

maddy68 · 03/01/2020 10:31

I failed to see them in Iceland

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 03/01/2020 10:32

Yes, in Canada a couple of times (I was living there for 9 months so wasn't a special trip)

SleepDeprivedElf · 03/01/2020 10:33

Yes, Norway in the autumn. They were milky white and not green though. Still cool!

Rewilo · 03/01/2020 10:35

Yes I live at the very tip of Scotland and have seen them several times, in winter and need a clear day.

Whatelsecouldibecalled · 03/01/2020 10:35

I have in Iceland. I was absolutely desperate to see them. We were ‘lucky’ and went on an ‘active’ night. They give a rating on how active the lights might be each night. I thought possibly stupidly they will be green/blue and moving around like you see on the tv. Not so much. Just a grey cloud appears. The only way to see the colours is to use a long exposure lens camera and have it out there for hours on a time lapse. It was still good to see but I was somewhat under whelmed. Iceland as a country however...incredible!

Skyejuly · 03/01/2020 10:36

Yep. Orkney.

willowstar · 03/01/2020 10:39

I used to live in the north-east of Scotland and saw them one night as I was driving home. I just noticed that there was green lights in the sky and pulled over to get out and watch. Amazing.

LeNil · 03/01/2020 10:45

Yes, grew up in the Northeast. People used to phone local radio/tv thinking they’d seen the start of an alien invasion. It was just the northern lights.

backinthebox · 03/01/2020 10:48

I'm fortunate enough to see them regularly from aircraft. I've only seen them from the ground once, in Sweden in February, a long time ago, and they were stunning. We were in Sweden for a family event so had not gone chasing them so it was a real privilege and we were very lucky to see them. My sister has returned to northern Scandinavia every year since and never seen them again, usually because it's cloudy when she visits (she is going for the snow, which has to come from somewhere!)

You can hunt for them, and there are plenty of websites out there that will tell you when them are more likely to occur, but it is usually luck of the draw as to whether you will see them. If you go north on a holiday, there's plenty of brilliant stuff you can do (husky sledding, snow mobiling, snow snow hiking, xc skiing, etc) whilst waiting for the gap in the weather and the right conditions to occur.

Bowerbird5 · 03/01/2020 10:50

Yes, lived in the north of Scotland for ten years and saw them regularly. However I was cycling home early in the morning once and had to stop to watch. It was the amazing greens playing on the tops of the trees and cottage roofs as I stood mesmerised. I can still remember it clearly over thirty years later. That was the best sight of them.

isabellerossignol · 03/01/2020 10:52

I've seen them at home, in Co Antrim. We drove out to a forest where it was really dark so that we could see them better, it was magical.

None of that helps the OP though, as I wouldn't suggest a trip here to see the Northern Lights.

Andahelterskelterroundmylittle · 03/01/2020 10:53

Yes, in Shetland when I lived there. Wasn't as common as I thought it would be tho

PickleSarnie · 03/01/2020 10:54

I've seen them twice in Aberdeenshire. Lived there for years though so probably not particularly reliable place to see them!

Oldraver · 03/01/2020 10:55

I saw them from a flight to the US in February. It was not long after 9/11 so the plane was empty and we were able to move to the other side to see them.

Mrsjayy · 03/01/2020 10:57

I can see them out my bedroom window occasionally but that isn't particularly fancy enough Grin

CountFosco · 03/01/2020 10:58

I grew up in the north of Scotland and saw them regularly growing up, if you're out in the evening and know what to look for you'll see them regularly but most displays aren't that exciting. Rather ironically though, one of the best displays I ever saw was in Michigan!

Perihelion · 03/01/2020 10:59

Seen them a few times in Scotland. One display in late October 2002 was amazing, like waterfalls dancing in the sky.
There's not much sun spot activity at the moment as we're in a solar minimum, so less chance of coronal mass ejections, which increase aurora activity.
There's sometimes more activity around the equinoxes and it's easier to view aurora if it's a new moon, further North and away from light pollution....and no clouds.

MaidofKent78 · 03/01/2020 11:00

Iceland in mid October. We danced in the snow underneath them :-)

VetOnCall · 03/01/2020 11:04

Yes, a lot, I live in Calgary, Alberta (although I'm from the UK) and you can see them for much of the year here. Not so much in the city, but drive a few hours north/west and they are often truly spectacular, especially from October - March.

I've also been fortunate enough to see them in Iceland, in Tromso and the Lofoten Islands in Norway, and in both Scotland and Northern Ireland (albeit not as strong as in Scandinavia or Canada).

Jupiters · 03/01/2020 11:04

Yes, in Norway. We did a cruise up to near the Russian border, through the artic circle. We saw them once on the trip, in March/April time.