The Northern Lights or to give them their technical name, the “Aurora Borealis” are a natural light display, which are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by the solar wind. They occur when charged particles from the Sun interact with Earth’s atmosphere, creating glowing curtains of green, pink, purple, and occasionally red light across the night sky. The Northern Lights are so high up in the atmosphere that they don’t pose any threat to people watching them from the ground but they provide the most amazing sites.
One of the places to head this winter to see the Northern Lights is Finland. Not only can you see the lights but you can experience all that Lapland has to offer with moose, reindeer, husky and snowmobile safaris and that once in lifetime trip for that little ones that will make this time of year so special.
An ideal destination is Rovaniemi which is the official home of Santa Claus. Just 8km north on the Arctic Circle is Santa Claus Village where you can find Santa at home every day of the year.
Rovaniemi is not the only Finnish destination to head to experience the Northern Lights, you might also consider Ivalo, Saariselkä, Levi, Yllä and Kilpisjärvi. These areas have dark skies and very little light pollution, which greatly improves viewing conditions.
An ideal destination is Rovaniemi which is the official home of Santa Claus. Just 8km north on the Arctic Circle is Santa Claus Village where you can find Santa at home every day of the year.
The aurora season in Finland generally runs from late August to early April, when the nights are dark enough to see the lights. However the most active periods are often September to October and February to March. Even then there is no guarantee that you will be able to see the lights so if you are going specifically for the lights, find a company with a “light guarantee”.
The lights are however generally visible for 200 nights of the year and the best times to see them are between 9pm and 2am. Its the weather that will be the main determinant of whether the lights are visible.
Our advice, mix your trip with other activities just in case. Ideas of other activities included Many travellers combine aurora hunting with: husky safaris, snowmobile excursions, reindeer sleigh rides etc and of course that visit to Santa Claus Village.