Chasing the magical northern lights, why the coming season offers one of the finest chances in years to witness nature's greatest light show

For countless travellers all around the world, the chance to stand beneath a sky suddenly set ablaze with rippling curtains of green and purple light sits firmly at the very top of their bucket list. The aurora borealis, far more commonly known as the northern lights, is widely regarded as one of the most breathtaking natural spectacles anywhere on the planet, and the good news is that the season to chase it has now truly arrived.

A dance of light explained

Although the glowing lights may look like pure and simple magic to the lucky observer standing below, there is in fact a genuinely fascinating scientific story behind every single shimmering display. The whole spectacle begins far away on the surface of the Sun, which constantly sends a steady stream of tiny charged particles racing out across space in what scientists have long called the solar wind.

When these particles eventually reach our own planet, the powerful magnetic field of the Earth gently guides them towards the regions surrounding the north and south poles. There they collide with gases high up in the atmosphere, and it is these countless tiny collisions that cause the air itself to glow, with oxygen producing the familiar greens and reds while nitrogen adds delicate touches of blue and purple.

Why this is a golden moment

While the northern lights can of course be spotted during many different years, there are certain periods when the conditions are far more favourable than usual, and we happen to be living through exactly such a moment right now. Our Sun follows a natural rhythm of roughly eleven years, swinging slowly between quiet spells and far more active ones, and at present it is near the very top of this energetic cycle.

During these especially busy years, the Sun releases a great deal more of the charged particles that feed the aurora, which makes the displays both noticeably brighter and much more frequent than usual. It even allows the lights to be seen considerably further south than they normally would be, and since this heightened activity will slowly fade over the coming years, there has rarely been a better time to plan a trip north.

When to look up

Timing is absolutely everything when it comes to successfully hunting for the elusive aurora, and the best window stretches broadly from the autumn right through until the early spring. These are the months that reliably offer the long and genuinely dark nights that are so essential, since the delicate lights can only ever be seen clearly against a properly dark and ideally cloudless sky.

Experienced aurora hunters very often point to the hours between roughly ten in the evening and two in the morning as the most promising time of all to be out watching and patiently waiting. A good deal of patience is very much part of the adventure, as the lights can appear quite suddenly, dance brilliantly for a while and then fade away again just as quickly as they first came.

The world's great destinations

To give yourself the very best possible chance of success, it helps enormously to travel to one of the famous destinations that sit directly beneath the band of sky where the aurora tends to appear most often. In Europe, the Norwegian city of Tromso, the small village of Abisko in Swedish Lapland and the Finnish town of Rovaniemi have all earned a glowing reputation among keen travellers.

Across the Atlantic, the Canadian town of Yellowknife is widely considered to be one of the finest spots in all of North America, thanks to its favourable position and its many clear, dry nights. The island nation of Iceland, with its dramatic volcanic scenery, is another hugely popular choice, offering the rare chance to watch the lights dance above waterfalls, glaciers and black sand beaches.

Giving yourself the best chance

Beyond simply choosing the right destination, there are several very practical steps that can greatly improve your overall odds of enjoying a truly memorable display. The single most important thing of all is to escape as far as you possibly can from the glow of artificial city lights, since even a little light pollution can easily wash out the fainter and more delicate auroras.

Many modern travellers also rely on handy forecasting tools and apps that help to predict aurora activity a few days in advance, allowing them to be in the right place at exactly the right moment. Above all else, dressing in plenty of warm layers is absolutely essential, because waiting patiently outdoors in the bitterly cold Arctic air can otherwise very quickly become a rather uncomfortable experience.

An experience of a lifetime

There is something genuinely humbling about finally standing beneath the vast northern sky and watching it slowly come alive with colour, moving silently and gracefully high above your head. For most people who are fortunate enough to witness it with their own eyes, the experience lingers in the memory for a lifetime and easily lives up to all of the very lofty expectations.

With the Sun currently so remarkably active and the long dark season now firmly upon us, the months that lie ahead represent a truly wonderful opportunity to finally tick this great natural wonder off the list. Whether you choose to journey to Norway, Finland, Canada or Iceland, chasing the northern lights is an adventure that promises precious memories to treasure forever.