Northern Lights Part 2

Guests often ask us: when is the best time to see the Northern Lights? Here in Northern Norway, the Northern Lights season generally runs from September until early April, when the nights are dark enough for the Aurora to be visible. The lights can appear at any time during the hours of darkness, so there is no single time of night when they are guaranteed to appear. And although we call them the Northern Lights, there is also a southern version. Aurora Borealis is the name given to the Northern Lights, while Aurora Australis – the Southern Lights – occurs around the southern polar region. Another question we often hear is: can you photograph the Northern Lights? Absolutely. Modern smartphones can often capture the Aurora surprisingly well. The easiest option is usually to use night mode, keep your phone as steady as possible, and avoid using the flash. But there is something important to know when comparing your own experience with Northern Lights photographs. A camera can collect light differently from the human eye. This means photographs can sometimes reveal colours and details that are difficult for us to see with our own eyes. A faint Aurora might appear to us as a pale or almost greyish shape in the sky, while a camera can reveal much more green. Green is usually the easiest Aurora colour for our eyes to recognise. Red, purple and blue can be more difficult to see, particularly when the Aurora is faint. But during a strong display, the experience can be very different. The lights can become clearly visible to the naked eye, with colours, shapes and movement stretching across the sky. So if you see something that looks like a faint, unusual cloud, take another look. It might be exactly what we are looking for tonight.