The Northern Lights

The Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are one of nature's great displays, a free, multi - coloured light show that is most commonly seen in the Arctic regions. Every performance is different but beautiful. It’s like watching a rainbow at night.

In recent years, trying to see these lights has become more and more popular. Even though it is expensive, cold and dark, many tourists make the trip to Scandinavia every year.

These lights are formed from fast-moving, electrically charged particles that come from the sun. These are pulled towards the North and South Poles by the Earth’s magnetic field. The different colours are a result of the different gases in the upper atmosphere. In the northern hemisphere they are known as the aurora borealis but in the southern hemisphere they are known as the aurora australis. However the only audience for the aurora australis is the penguins.

The hours of darkness increase the farther north you travel, and while the aurora can be seen at any moment, 9pm to 2am is normally the best viewing time. Many hotels have an aurora alarm service if you don’t want to stay up waiting.

One tour in Finland combines dog-sledding and cross-country skiing with night treks on snowshoes, by minibus and snowmobile to seek the Northern Lights. Travellers are also given an aurora alarm so they have the best chances of seeing them. The Aurora Zone offers an Aurora Package from £1,595 per person including flights from London, transfers, seven nights’ stay in a hotel, all activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.