Aurora Borealis

When to see the northern lights

Seeing the northern lights, or the aurora borealis as they are also known as, is a jaw-dropping and mystical moment.

The lights are at their most frequent in late autumn and winter/early spring.

In the time span between autumn equinox and spring equinox (21 September - 21 March), it is dark the whole time between 6 pm and 1 am, and you have maximum chances of spotting the lights. However, the weather is also of importance, and September, October and November tend to be wet and snowless in the north.

From December the weather dries up, and there is normally plenty of snow. If you come in December or January, you experience the polar nights with atmospheric evenings and very short days.

In February and March the days are longer and you see more of the snow-clad landscapes during daytime, and the evenings still offer maximum northern lights chances.

No guarantee can be given, though. Some weeks, you are lavished with fantastic displays, repeated several times during the whole evening. Other times, it snows densely, or the northern lights simply stay away. Naturally, the longer you stay and the more time you set aside, the bigger the chances.

Where to see the northern lights

In order to get full value from the show you should avoid the full moon and places with a lot of light as they make the experience considerably paler. Also remember to wrap up warmly.

Theoretically, you can see the northern lights all over Norway. However, the best places are above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway.

The northern lights belt hits Northern Norway at Lofoten, and follows the coast all the way up to the North Cape. This means that no other place on earth stands better chances of spotting the lights, and one location in this area might be as good as another. In fact, one often observes the same northern lights in Lofoten as in Tromsø, just from a different angle. The driest weather, giving clear skies, is found inland, providing the statistically best chances, but with strong eastern winds, the coast can be clearer than inland areas.

Activities under the northern lights

Aurora is a tricky lady, you never know when she bothers to turn up. This diva keeps you waiting... So whenever you are above the Arctic Circle, make sure you set aside the whole evening. Northern lights worshippers do everything from a long cross-country trek to building snowmen in order to keep warm and entertained while outside.

Source: http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Articles/Theme/What-to-do/Attractions/Nature/Let-there-be-northern-lights/