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Published: January 11th 2022
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Seeing the
Aurora Borealis is hands down one of the most amazing travel experiences someone can have. However, given the unpredictability of the phenomenon, you need to carefully plan your trip in order to maximize your chances of spotting it. But don't worry, I'm here to help you with helpful information and tips on what is the best location to spot the Northern Lights in Europe.
Not many might realize but there's a strong connection between the Cycle of the Sun and the Northern Lights. Auroras appear as a consequence of disturbances in the magnetosphere which are in turn caused by the solar wind when it interacts with the magnetic field of the Earth. So basically stronger Auroras appear when there's intense solar activity.
Now, the Sun goes through an 11-year cycle. During it, solar activity reaches both a peak and a low. What this means is that if you were to attempt to see the Northern Lights near a solar peak, you will have a high chance of viewing a strong display (though it's not a guarantee!). However, this doesn't automatically mean that you shouldn't try to see the Aurora Borealis if the Sun cycle is approaching its low. But you might want to plan more carefully.
Best time to see the Northern Lights
Well, the best time to see the Northern Lights is obviously during the polar winter, when the nights are long. The ideal conditions include:
• good position inside the Auroral zone
• clear, dark sky
• low pollution
• intense solar activity
So you should look for locations usually within the Arctic Circle, where there's not much pollution and where the weather is usually as predictable as possible. And this last part is the hardest to come by. Because winter at the North Pole isn't exactly a synonym for good weather.
Best place to see the Aurora Borealis in Europe
Iceland and Norway are dubbed as some of the best places in Europe to see the Northern Lights, but both can have pretty crazy weather in winter, even though they are utterly beautiful countries.
For this reason, they were not the best choices for me, since I was only focused on spotting the lights. So I continued my research.
In the end, I decided on Abisko, Sweden. Here's why:
• Abisko is located about 250km within the Arctic Circle
• it is a very tiny village, hence it has little pollution
• the proximity of the Tornetrask lake and the mountains all around it has allowed for a microclimate to develop in the area, making Abisko one of the arctic locations with the clearest nights; locals call it the "blue hole"
The last point is the most important too. Because as I already mentioned, a dark, clear sky is an important condition to be able to see the Aurora Borealis. I mean the most beautiful display could happen, but if it's not visible because of heavy clouds, it's all for nothing. And in my experience, the "blue hole" is not a legend, since it even snowed when I was there, but I was still able to see the Aurora.
How to get to Abisko, Sweden
There are two ways you can get to Abisko from Stockholm:
• by plane and car/train
• by sleeper train
If you opt to go for the plane and car/train combination, you might need to spend a night in Kiruna, depending on when your flight arrives. From there you can either rent a car and continue to Abisko or take the train. You could also opt for a taxi, but it could get pretty expensive since Kiruna is about 90 km away from Abisko.
To be honest I'd recommend the second option even though it's a very long journey (about 17 hours) because the train is direct, so you don't have to change transportation with heavy bags. Besides considering the waiting times and all, you might not save so much time if you fly there.
Other tips
Here are some additional tips on seeing the lights:
• search online for a forecast app and install it on your phone
• bring some hot packs with you when you go Aurora hunting: they'll keep you warm
• good camera: ideally a mirrorless or a DSLR with a lens that can capture a lot of light
• bring extra batteries: they discharge very fast in the cold
• don't forget your tripod
• layer your clothes to keep warm
Final words
Seeing the Northern Lights is a truly unforgettable experience and while no one can guarantee success in spotting the lights, I truly believe that a carefully planned trip can maximize your chances. And in this regard, I hope this article gave you useful information.
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