Northern Lights Holidays

Also known as the “aurora borealis”, the Northern Lights are a dizzying display of nature’s power. They appear as light phenomena in the night’s sky at the northern and southern extremities of the earth and every appearance is unique - taking the form of a hazy glow, arcs or “curtains” (groups of parallel streams of light that wind across the sky).

Sometimes the lights seem motionless while on other occasions they’re constantly changing, weaving and pulsating before your very eyes. Formed about 100km above the Earth’s surface, the intensity can vary but at their most luminous they’re able produce the same amount of light as a full moon. The most common colours to see are greens, yellows and reds but all colours of the spectrum can appear including pinks, blues and violets.

Although most people think the Northern Lights only happen at night, they’re actually present throughout the day but just aren’t powerful enough to be visible in sunlight. These magnificent auroras aren’t just limited to our planet either and have been witnessed on many other planets and moons in the solar system.

• Good things come to those who wait - the longer you stay and the more time you set aside, the better the odds.
• Avoid the full moon and places with a lot of light pollution as they reduce the intensity of the spectacle - try to get away from towns and villages for the full effect.
• Remember to wrap up warm and take some warm drinks with you!
• There are plenty of aurora forecast websites which give an idea of the likelihood of seeing the lights, although conditions change so quickly that they are not always dependable.
• Fully charge your phone - the cold can drain batteries and you don’t want your camera to be flat just as the lights start dancing.

The Northern Lights appear above and around earth’s North Magnetic Pole, in an oval band shaped by the magnetic fields. This band covers parts of North America, Iceland, Siberia and Scandinavia, including Lapland.

Inland areas tend to be the driest and so the most likely to have clear skies, which makes our Lapland destinations the perfect places to try and see the lights in all their glory - as they’re all in central Finland, while being far north enough to be in the peak aurora spotting zone.

For the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, it’s best to spend at least a week in the area, allowing for possible cloud cover and other factors which may affect the appearance of the Lights.

Throughout history, this amazing phenomenon has inspired all kinds of mythological explanations and legendary folklore, including ancient heroes battling in the sky, the souls of the dead and old maids dancing...

The Finnish name for the Lights, “Revontulet”, translates as “fox fire” and comes from an old belief that they were caused by a fox that runs across the snow and throws sparks into the sky from his bushy tail.

The Sami people call the Northern Lights “Guovssahas”, which means "the light which can be heard", as many claim that the auroras often produce sounds similar to hissing and crackling. Scientists have never managed to prove this although it’s thought that you have to be in some of the most remote areas, far away from any other noise pollution.

As if you needed more convincing to visit Lapland to see the Northern Lights, an old Asian belief states that someone who manages to see them will live happily ever after. But beware – anyone who disrespects the lights brings years of bad fortune upon themselves!

Put simply, the Northern Lights are the result of an energetic interaction between charged particles from the sun and the Earth’s atmosphere.

The sun emits something called solar wind (not like the blustery wind we’re used to but electrons and protons that are thrown out at speeds of up to 750km per second). The Earth’s magnetic field, the magnetosphere, directs the majority of these electrically charged particles around the planet, saving life from its harmful radioactive effects. Some of them, however, are not deflected and are focused towards the Earth’s poles where they collide with molecules in the upper atmosphere, about 100-400km above the surface. The energy formed by these collisions is released as visible light, in much the same way as TV screens or fluorescent lamps, which cause the spectacular scenes that we associate with the Northern Lights. The colours displayed depend on which molecules are hit and at what height. The green and red glows are the result of oxygen, while blues and violets come from nitrogen.

At the end of the day, no scientific explanation can fully convey the stunning beauty and majesty of the Northern Lights - this can only be experienced and appreciated first-hand.

Unfortunately, when it comes to seeing the Northern Lights, there are no guarantees or sure-fire ways to ensure success, which makes every sighting a special and unique experience. Be that as it may, there are certain times of the year when conditions for seeing the Northern Lights are more promising than others..

Around the equinoxes (September and March), the lights are at their most active and the weather tends to be at its calmest. The winter months in-between have the most amount of darkness at night, when the lights are at their clearest, so this is longest window of opportunity to see them. Weather is a significant factor as clear skies are evidently necessary to be able to view the lights properly - clouds are the Northern Lights hunter’s nemesis! Most sightings are reported between 6pm and 2am and it’s important to stay out for a significant period of time as they might only appear very briefly and without warning.

One of the most crucial factors is to avoid as much light pollution as possible, which is why Finnish Lapland is such a superb place to see them. Most of the area is wilderness and in some resorts, they turn off all streetlights after 10pm so as not to interfere with potential sightings. There are all kinds of activities to take you out of the towns in order to get the best views, from husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris to remote saunas and hot tubs. Check out our Northern Lights excursions for some great ways to get the most out of your experience.

• The Northern Lights occur when particles spewed out of the sun hit the Earth’s atmosphere and bang into molecules in the air.
• The particles are attracted to the two poles of the Earth, at the North and South, which is why you usually have to travel a long way to see them.
• The collisions produce lots of energy which gives out masses of light, causing the amazing displays that we see in the skies.
• Every Northern Lights spectacle is unique, with different sizes, colours and intensities.
• Although most commonly green, the Northern Lights can produce all kinds of different colours including orange, red, yellow, blue and purple.
• The Lights are formed up to 200km above the Earth’s surface.
• The Northern Lights are also called the aurora borealis. “Aurora” comes from the Roman goddess of dawn, while “borealis” is named after the Greek word for the northern wind.
• An almost identical display can be seen at the South Pole, called the aurora australis, or the Southern Lights. This tends to be witnessed less frequently as there are fewer inhabited areas that far south.
• The Canadian Inuit people call the Lights “aqsarniit”, which means football players. They think that the Lights are caused by spirits in the sky playing football with the head of a Walrus!