Chasing Northern Lights by Minibus within the Arctic Circle

I like pure phenomena, particularly people who require a little bit of luck to witness, and the Northern Lights are simply that! I’ve all the time needed to see them however have by no means had the possibility, so I made a decision that my subsequent journey can be devoted to seeing the Northern Lights.

As I often do earlier than every journey, I analysis and discover extensively to collect all of the out there info. Whereas studying extra about them, I noticed that a number of components should align for an opportunity to see them, and it’s really not so simple as it could appear.

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Location Location Location

The primary issue is location, and because the title suggests, the north is the way in which to go. The upper the latitude, the higher the possibilities. I made a decision that the perfect location can be contained in the Arctic Circle, which led me to this hidden gem – Tromsø, Norway.

Regardless of its distant location, it’s a vibrant metropolis and the third largest on the planet north of the Arctic Circle. I used to be pleasantly stunned to discover a full of life environment, with nightlife, concert events, and festivals.

Tromsø has even earned the nickname “Paris of the North” resulting from its wealthy tradition.

Timing is Every thing

The following issue is timing. Inside the Arctic Circle, one other pure phenomenon happens in the course of the summer season months, named ‘The Midnight Solar’, which means that the solar doesn’t set in any respect!

Clearly, darkish circumstances are a should to see the Northern Lights, and since they’re absent throughout these months, you merely received’t see them. Within the winter, the other phenomenon happens, named ‘The Polar Night time’, and the solar is not going to rise throughout these months!

This makes winter a perfect time for viewing the Northern Lights. However it’s not darkish all day, really, the skies are sometimes illuminated with stunning shades of pink, purple, and orange in the course of the day.

Climate and Cloud Protection

Now that I’ve established the principle components for the perfect place and time to see the Northern Lights, I booked my winter trip within the Arctic Circle! However, it doesn’t finish there. I wanted to contemplate one other necessary issue essential to seeing the Northern Lights – climate and cloud cowl!

Because it’s winter, the climate might not be very welcoming. Moreover, Tromsø’s coastal location brings loads of clouds, which may understandably intervene with Northern Lights viewing. Actually, overcast skies happen roughly 80% of the time throughout Tromsø’s winter months.

Northern Lights Chasing Excursions

Nevertheless, I discovered an answer that will increase your possibilities of seeing the Northern Lights when Tromsø is cloudy – Northern Lights Chasing Excursions! On these excursions, guides “chase” places with clear skies and generally even take you so far as Finland!

I took one tour virtually each evening as this was the principle goal of my journey. The one draw back is that they’re fairly dear, however with out them, the possibilities of seeing the Northern Lights in Tromsø aren’t very excessive.

After my intensive overplanning, I lastly arrived in Tromsø! I used to be blown away by the attractive surroundings, the snow-covered city surrounded by beautiful Arctic landscapes. My favourite place was Storsteinen Mountain which is well visited by the Fjellheisen Cable Automobile.

The panoramic views of Tromsø and the encircling mountains had been merely breathtaking. Should you’re lucky sufficient to have clear skies, this can be a great place for viewing the Northern Lights. However, this wasn’t the case for me.

Forecasting: Incidence & Depth

The primary tour I took uncovered the final necessary issue for seeing the Northern Lights – there have to be Northern Lights forecast. The Northern Lights happen when charged particles from the solar, named photo voltaic wind, collide with gases in Earth’s environment, releasing vitality that are the colourful lights we see.

A number of indicators within the forecast recommend the chance of its prevalence and the depth. Since I’m this far north within the Arctic Circle, an important indicator is a unfavourable worth of Bz IMT and if the opposite values are favorable, you’re in for a spectacle.

And So the Chase Begins!

The tour guides took us by minibus to Finland, a 3-hour drive, to the clearest skies I’ve seen. The situation was removed from any mild air pollution, good for watching the Northern Lights. We waited and waited, and nothing!

You may’t think about my disappointment. The worth of Bz IMT was sadly optimistic, and even after ready for a number of hours, it remained removed from zero. So, we headed again with out seeing something however a faint greenish tint within the sky, seen solely via a digital camera.

The next day, it was snowing in Tromsø, and I began to really feel that my journey is likely to be a waste of time and that I wouldn’t get to see the Northern Lights. Nonetheless, the Northern Lights Chasing Tour was on, and the information was assured that the clouds would clear north of Tromsø, in order that’s the place we had been headed.

To my shock, he was proper! As we arrived on the location, the skies started to clear. I instantly checked the forecast and it regarded very promising, so fingers crossed!

Nothing ready me for the superb present I witnessed! The goosebumps I felt because the sky lit up with vibrant greens, purples, and reds had been indescribable. The Northern Lights danced above my head, making a magical environment that’s exhausting to place into phrases.

The following day, nonetheless ecstatic from the evening earlier than, pondering that nothing may exceed that, I used to be off on one other tour. The situation of this journey was but once more in Finland, however this time it was a forest close to a frozen lake. Thankfully, I used to be granted yet one more spectacular present and the attractive location made the expertise much more unforgettable.

A As soon as-in-a-Lifetime Expertise

After efficiently seeing the Northern Lights, I extremely suggest experiencing this surprise no less than as soon as in your life. Tromsø turned out to be a wonderful location for it, as in the course of the day, there are numerous actions to do in Tromsø.

Particularly within the winter, reminiscent of snowmobiling, snowboarding, whale watching, and even reindeer feeding experiences guided by the native Sami folks.