Where can you see the northern lights?
Did you know that you can experience the northern lights as early as late September until late March? Northern Norway is dark from afternoon until late morning, when the northern lights frequently soar across the sky. Our bold claim is that this part of Norway, with its multiple islands, deep fjords and steep mountains, is among the world’s most beautiful and interesting places in which to see the northern lights.
As hundreds of thousands of people live in this huge geographical area, the region of Northern Norway has everything from cities with lively night life and excellent museums to small fishing villages and vast, tranquil spaces without light pollution.
The best time to go is now!
Northern lights activity is peaking in 2024. From now until 2026, the aurora borealis activity is expected to reach its highest levels in 11 years.
The northern lights in Norway
If you want to experience the starry, limitless Arctic sky, and the unbelievable colours of the northern lights that dance across it, few places on earth are better than Norway.
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Three fun facts about the auroras
1. The light show appears when charged particles from the sun are dragged into the atmosphere by the earth’s magnetic field and collide with nitrogen and oxygen atoms. This collision releases flashes of coloured lights – which we see as the northern lights.
2. The colour of the light depends on the type of atoms involved in the collision.
3. Aurora borealis isn’t the only light show the world offers. The southern hemisphere has its own version, called aurora australis – the southern lights.
Want to know more? Find more facts and fiction about the northern lights.
Did you know that the Norwegian currency is historically weak at the moment, meaning that it’s actually much cheaper than otherwise to visit Norway now? What are you waiting for?
Where can you see the northern lights?
Did you know that you can experience the northern lights as early as late September until late March? Northern Norway is dark from afternoon until late morning, when the northern lights frequently soar across the sky. Our bold claim is that this part of Norway, with its multiple islands, deep fjords and steep mountains, is among the world’s most beautiful and interesting places in which to see the northern lights.
As hundreds of thousands of people live in this huge geographical area, the region of Northern Norway has everything from cities with lively night life and excellent museums to small fishing villages and vast, tranquil spaces without light pollution.
The best time to go is now!
Northern lights activity is peaking in 2024. From now until 2026, the aurora borealis activity is expected to reach its highest levels in 11 years.
Man watching the northern lights over Mefjordsletta, Senja
Aurora activity is peaking now!
Explore the North
The aurora can be a shy diva, but in addition to hunting for the northern lights, Northern Norway offers winter fishing, hiking, skiing, and dog sledding. You can also experience Sami culture or join a whale or wildlife safari. Afterwards, you can relax in unique hotels and eat incredible local food. Why not join a northern lights safari and get enjoy your meal in a traditional lavvo? A night in an ice hotel is also something you never will forget.
You can slo sometimes see the northern lights in other parts of Norway, such as Trøndelag and Southern Norway, particularly during periods of increased solar activity.
What are the northern lights?
On a very basic level, the phenomenon is quite simple to explain. It is created from a collision between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the atmosphere of the earth.
The lights, which are also called aurora borealis, show up at night when the sky is dark. It’s like a celestial ballet of light dancing across the night sky, with a colour palette of green, blue, and sometimes even pink and violet.
The unique winter light
Although there is not guarantee that the northern lights will appear – they are a natural phenomenon, just like the weather – you are still guaranteed to experience magical light in Northern Norway all through the polar night. On clear days, you can see beautiful sunset colours in the south while the sky to the north is a deep midnight blue. In the ‘blue hour’ at twilight, the snowy landscape is bathed in a glassy, deep blue colour.
And even if the Auroras don’t dance, experiencing the infinite starry sky can make you reconnect with the universe.
Light pollution obscures the night sky in more than half of Europe. If you leave the lights of the city behind, you can see much more of our universe with the naked eye.
Limitless skies
When can I see the auroras?
The northern lights can be seen when the sky is clear and dark. Peak time is between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Statistically, spring (March/April) and autumn (September/October) have the highest level of aurora activity. However, you they are also spotted in November, December, January, and February. You then just have to cross your fingers for a sun storm to send some magical particles in your direction..
