![]() So, while it is true that sunspots affect the lights, this doesn’t apply to locations under the Auroral Ovals. However, the polar auroras do not depend on sunspot activity at all. During this time, the Northern Lights may be visible further south than usual, due to the increased number of electrically charged particles reaching the Earth. The Northern Lights become more active and intense around Solar Maximum and in the three to four years immediately following the peak. When the sun is at its most active and producing a lot of sunspots, it is referred to as the Solar Maximum and when the number of sunspots are at the lowest, it’s called the Solar Minimum. This cycle lasts somewhere between 11-15 years. The Solar Cycle refers to the number of sunspots present on the surface of the sun. You can also sign up for Northern Lights forecast email alerts that tell you when activity rises above four to five on the Kp scale. The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska has an excellent website, which allows you to view predicted activity in all auroral regions. The forecast corresponds to the planetary magnetic index on a scale of one to nine, with one being very low activity and nine very high. The Kp Index is generally considered the most accurate – it’s much more reliable than the weather forecast. northern Norway in winter, which is why Hurtigruten feels confident enough to offer its unique Northern Lights Promise.īut there are forecasts available. Being in the right place at the right time helps i.e. Unfortunately, there is no 100% guarantee of spotting the Northern Lights. How will I know if the Northern Lights will appear? ![]() The light show we see from the ground is caused by electrically charged particles from space entering the Earth’s upper atmosphere at a very high speed. This isn’t the case – it’s just that when the skies are cloudless, temperatures tend to drop. Some people claim the aurora comes out when temperatures are colder. To see the Northern lights, the sky needs to be dark and clear of any clouds. A good display may last for no longer than 15-30 minutes at a time, although if you’re really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer. They don’t usually exhibit for long – they may only show for a few minutes, then glide away before returning. The Northern Lights most commonly appear between 17:00 and 02:00. The aurora is at its most active around the equinoxes in March and September. During this time, the Arctic sky is dark enough for the Northern Lights to be visible in the right conditions. The winter season in the Arctic lasts from late September to late March/ early April. While technically, the Northern Lights are present for much of the year, there aren’t enough hours of darkness to see them during the summer months, even above the Arctic Circle. Above the Arctic Circle (66☃3’N) is the best place to go aurora hunting which is why northern Norway and Svalbard are some of the best places on earth to see the Northern Lights. For the Northern Lights, the further north you travel the more likely you are to catch a glimpse of the aurora. ![]() This area is known as the Auroral Zone or the Auroral Oval. The Aurora Borealis is most commonly seen in the polar regions, within a radius of 2,500 km around the magnetic poles.
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