![]() In high activity you can even spy the northern lights from the suburbs of Reykjavík the Grotta Lighthouse is a popular viewing spot.Īcross the country, sky watchers can take in the dancing lights from outdoor hot tubs, inside Buubble lodges, and from hot spring lagoons. I have seen my best auroras from Kirkjufell mountain on the west coast. However, a good coastline road around the country lets you chase clear skies. Both the latitude and longitude of the country favor aurora viewing, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate. The last few nights, however, people across the Northern and Southern hemispheres have enjoyed dazzling, colorful skies, thanks to a geomagnetic storm that began early this week. IcelandĮven without the northern lights, Iceland is an otherworldly place to visit, with glaciers, geysers, massive waterfalls, and volcanoes. The aurora borealis is one of the most stunning light shows on Earth, but normally, it’s a treat reserved for the hardy souls living at the coldest edges of the world. The green areas (Aurora Oval) mark the regions in which you have a good chance of observing the northern lights in the next half hour. Find the dark hours of your location here, or by using a sky guide app.Īnd remember: Besides weather, a dark sky and the right season are the keys. ![]() Near equinoxes in March and September, the Earth’s magnetic field lets more solar particles interact with the atmosphere, creating aurora seasons! I suggest autumnal equinox in September, when there are pleasant temperatures in polar latitudes. Long winter nights are good but not necessarily the best time. In the polar latitudes, auroras can appear on any dark night. Find your magnetic latitude on NOAA and here. Luckily, there are much more accessible places if you’d like to take in these light shows yourself.įor the best seats to this celestial scene, consider anywhere with a magnetic latitude above 55° and low light pollution. The northern lights (aurora borealis) illuminate the sky over Reinfjorden in Reine, on Lofoten Islands in the Arctic Circle in 2017. ![]() The first time I filmed an aurora was from an icebreaker near Antarctica. The result is a colorful, dancing light show. The otherworldly aurora borealis, or northern lights, begin high in the Earth’s atmosphere-at altitudes from 60 to more than 250 miles-when charged particles from the sun become trapped in the Earth's magnetic field.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |