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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?

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Lucyslampost · 03/01/2020 11:07

Yes, I saw them in Svalbard in January and it was absolutely magical. We stood on top of a hill in minus 20 degrees for a very long time, and then they were there -- the full dancing green sky. It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen.

calamariqueen · 03/01/2020 11:07

Yes, on my bucket list holiday to Trømso for my 30th in 2013. We had an excellent guide who drove us around 3 hours to find the perfect spot. They were heart stoppingly amazing. I could have never imagined how quickly they would dance across the sky. We saw green, yellow, orangey/reds and I will never, ever, forget it. One of the most incredible experiences of my life.

Katisha · 03/01/2020 11:12

Yes in lapland on a family holiday. I started to worry when 3 days in there was no show as it had been the hope for the v expensive holiday. Then they appeared three consecutive nights although the first night was the best.

Horsemad · 03/01/2020 11:15

We saw them on a day trip to Finnish Lapland; the tour guide said they don't see them that often, so we felt very lucky that day!

My Norwegian friend who lives in the Arctic circle sees them regularly.

Namechangedtoprotect · 03/01/2020 11:19

Where and what time of the year in Scotland? I would love to see them so might convince dh for a weekend away

Skyechasemarshalontheway · 03/01/2020 11:37

There are aurora apps that can tell you when it's a good night to go view them here in Scotland.

It all depends on cloud cover and the moon. If the moon is a full moon or there's cloud cover the chances of seeing them are slim.

LePimpernelScarlette · 03/01/2020 11:45

Yes I two locations! Once in Finnish Lapland at the beginning of December on first night a weirdy cloud - which was apparently a weak form. The next night nothing, then the following evening 2 hours of the most amazing lights and then a bit the next night too - though not as strong. We also drove the bottom half of the ring Road in Iceland in an October half term. We stayed a couple of nights in a place called Skaftafell and saw them one evening there. It started with an almost pink flash.. The kids were with us and we were so thrilled they had seen them.

Crunched · 03/01/2020 11:54

I did an 11 day cruise along the Norwegian coast crossing the Artic Circle last month. The Northern Lights appeared on two consecutive nights - beautiful and somehow quite moving. If the Lights do not make an appearance, the cruise company (Hurtigruten) offer a free cruise, so they must be fairly confident you will get lucky.

Damntheman · 03/01/2020 11:54

I live in Norway so I see them all the time :) Sometimes I can stand on my veranda and watch them, but it's better out in the middle of nowhere with no light pollution! I've seen them be green, white, purple and a tiny bit of red. Gorgeous.

If you're set on Norway OP then go to Tromsø at some point between feb-april, but it's very hit and miss. My mum's been trying to visit to see them for years and the feckers always wait to show up until she's on the plane home again.

Iceland is your best bet in my opinion. But the cruise also sounds good as you'll be away from a lot of the light pollution issues! Cold though.. on a boat in winter up here.

CoolcoolcoolcoolcoolNoDoubt · 03/01/2020 12:02

Iceland in December a few years ago, we got really lucky as we were away from Reykjavik on a 2 day tour. I'd recommend booking on a small minibus tour or similar, as they are more flexible at chasing the lights than the usual coach tours you get.

There's so much to do and see in Iceland, I would definitely go back. I would say it was my favourite ever holiday.

Tips - take a good camera, so even if you don't see the lights by eye, you might be able to see them on camera. As it turned out we could just about distinguish a bit of green and red once we'd been out in the dark for a couple of hours (it was a very strong storm). We only went for 5 nights. It's recommended to book a tour as soon as you arrive, as if they cancel due to weather etc, you can go the next night, and so on etc.

It was top of my bucket list so I was a real crank about this holiday. I did check the lunar cycle to make sure there wasn't going to be a full moon when we were there as the darker the sky, the better haha.

I think Iceland is better than Norway, Finland as well because it doesn't get as cold. I I was out for 2 hours with no gloves on, operating my camera and was absolutely fine. Someplaces can get down to minus 20 or more! No way I would have enjoyed hanging around in that.

EvaHarknessRose · 03/01/2020 12:06

I follow a Cumbria northern lights Facebook group who post alerts

CoolcoolcoolcoolcoolNoDoubt · 03/01/2020 12:11

How do people manage on cruises, do the boats not make for wobbly photos?

Forgot to add.. In Iceland they have an aurora forecast so even when one of our aurora tours was cancelled, I still managed to get photos of them in the harbour where the light pollution was really bad, so it's worth not taking the tour cancellations as gospel and trying anyway! Grotta is meant to be a good spot in Reykjavik.

I also used the Glendale aurora app, where you can get live reports from other people who can see the lights (or can't due to clouds etc). I'd also joined some UK photography groups before I went to learn how best to get photos, so when their reports came in from Northern Scotland (there are webcams you can check in the Shetland isles) as well this baced up the other forecasts.

There's a really good aurora museum in Reykjavik that teaches you how to photograph the aurora as well - I'd recommend going, it was really interesting. And apparently the aurora tour guides are usually helpful with cameras too if you're lucky enough to spot the lights.

I'll shut up now

ActualHornist · 03/01/2020 12:13

I haven’t but it’s a dream of mine also.

My cousin went to Tromso in April I think, bit late in the year but she saw them. The photos were amazing, can’t imagine how fab it would be in real life.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 03/01/2020 12:15

Seen them in Scotland but they were pretty crap and also in Iceland where they are much better.

jeffsar4 · 03/01/2020 12:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CoolcoolcoolcoolcoolNoDoubt · 03/01/2020 12:30

My cousin went to Tromso in April I think, bit late in the year but she saw them. The photos were amazing, can’t imagine how fab it would be in real life.

This is the exact opposite and a common misconception.. a camera lens on long exposure (usually between 10-30 secs) can take in more light than the human eye can, so captures the amazing colour the aurora is known for. To the naked eye you will see slowly moving wisps of white that look more like clouds. Or something like this.. which is obviously disappointing if you don't know what to expect.

weegiemum · 03/01/2020 12:42

We have seen them many times when we lived in the Outer Hebrides (no light pollution!).

Just back from a trip to the north of Sweden, (not chasing the aurora but would have been a nice bonus) and there was no activity at all.

Damntheman · 03/01/2020 12:51

Cool, I've seen auroras that look exactly like the most wonderful video/photos with my bare eyes. They do not look like wispy white clouds! Yes, cameras can pick up aurora that we can't quite see, but you can also see them quite easily with the naked eye on days of good activity.

I never bother photographing them. I just enjoy, a photo will never capture the sheer feeling that seeing them gives. I won't even try!

Outer Hebrides must have been amazing weegiemum! (Nordic are you, with a username like that :D)

ineedmoresleepnow · 03/01/2020 12:53

I was lucky enough to see them in Sweden during a stay at the ice hotel. It made a special weekend magical

MintyMabel · 03/01/2020 13:00

Saw them heaps as a child living in the North East of Scotland.

Took a trip to northern Canada to see them. 3 nights of searching, and on the 3rd night they came out. Was actually quite disappointing, I'd seen better in Scotland.

NarwhalsNarwhals · 03/01/2020 13:23

As a child once. I can't remember where we had been, I think it was a wedding or some family party but I was quite small and asleep in the car on the way home. Then we'd stopped in the middle of nowhere so dad could have a cup of tea and stretch his legs (not as odd as it sounds, Dad has some thing against main roads and service stations so on long treks he'd carry a camping stove and a couple of litres of water and he'd just stop in field entrances and all sorts, he'd turn the lights off and watch the stars while he had his cuppa then we'd get going again) anyway this particular time mum woke us up to show us the northern lights, she was very excited coz she'd been to Norway and Iceland a few times and never managed to see them and this was a layby in England, much further South than you would usually spot them.

ThatLibraryMiss · 03/01/2020 13:32

We're right in the solar minimum now, when the Sun's least active and the chance of aurorae is lowest. If you're planning a trip specifically to see them I'd wait a few years, if you can. The next solar maximum will probably be in about five years but activity's already started to increase.

You can see the current auroral oval, which shows where the aurora's likely to be seen, at Spaceweather.com, and sign up to alerts for aurorae in Britain at aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/alerts/.

MadisonAvenue · 03/01/2020 13:39

It's a dream of mine.
I have one of the aurora apps, Aurora Watch UK, and a few times when there have been alerts (we're in the Midlands) we've gone out into the countryside (we're rural with some high vantage points) with a compass to look but seen nothing. Each time though there have been reports the following day of them being seen locally so I guess we've been unlucky.

Original poster

RhodaCamel · 03/01/2020 13:40

Oh you lucky lot.
ThatLibraryMiss I am hoping to see them for my 50th which will be in March 2023, not sure what the activity will be like then, I’ll start researching.

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Original poster

RhodaCamel · 03/01/2020 13:41

Great, I’ll have to get one of those apps.

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