Seeing the aurora borealis, aka the Northern Lights, is an experience you are unlikely to forget. It is also, however, an experience it is not all that likely you will have. If you are travelling to see this spectacular phenomenon, you need to make all the effort you can to try to increase your chances of seeing them. This often means travelling to some very remote places, at very specific times. If you have the money, however, and the patience, then it will most certainly be worth it.
The name 'Aurora Borealis' comes from the Russian, Aurora, which is the goddess of dawn, and the Greek, Boreas, which means 'north wind', and this says something about its beauty. It is a natural light show which comes about when charged particles collide with atoms in our atmosphere, in the far north of our planet. The charged particles come from solar winds, and are drawn towards the Earth's atmosphere by its magnetic field. The effect of all this is stunning display of what look like greenish blue ribbons of electricity darting around the night sky.
Clearly, then, the best places to see this phenomenon are up north. In Canada, for example, there are plenty of tourist companies dedicated to increasing your chance of seeing the lights. However, these tours often turn out to be very expensive. If you can find a way of getting there yourself, sub-Arctic city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories is supposedly the best place to see the lights. There you can stand on a frozen lake, in the pitch dark, and watch the lights with startling clarity.
If you are thinking of going to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, you should head there between the months of September and March. The most relaxing way to do this, perhaps, is to lie in one of the many geothermal pools that lie in the Icelandic countryside. The best place to do this, apparently is Reykjanes, in the northwest of the country, where the geothermic pool there is of Olympic size. If you're lucky, then swimming out there at midnight will see you joined by ducks and nightjars.
Other great countries for seeing the aurora include Norway and Sweden, Alaska, and even Scotland. But, as mentioned above, to really give yourself the best chance of seeing the aurora, you need to be patient, and willing to depart from the beaten track.
The name 'Aurora Borealis' comes from the Russian, Aurora, which is the goddess of dawn, and the Greek, Boreas, which means 'north wind', and this says something about its beauty. It is a natural light show which comes about when charged particles collide with atoms in our atmosphere, in the far north of our planet. The charged particles come from solar winds, and are drawn towards the Earth's atmosphere by its magnetic field. The effect of all this is stunning display of what look like greenish blue ribbons of electricity darting around the night sky.
Clearly, then, the best places to see this phenomenon are up north. In Canada, for example, there are plenty of tourist companies dedicated to increasing your chance of seeing the lights. However, these tours often turn out to be very expensive. If you can find a way of getting there yourself, sub-Arctic city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories is supposedly the best place to see the lights. There you can stand on a frozen lake, in the pitch dark, and watch the lights with startling clarity.
If you are thinking of going to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, you should head there between the months of September and March. The most relaxing way to do this, perhaps, is to lie in one of the many geothermal pools that lie in the Icelandic countryside. The best place to do this, apparently is Reykjanes, in the northwest of the country, where the geothermic pool there is of Olympic size. If you're lucky, then swimming out there at midnight will see you joined by ducks and nightjars.
Other great countries for seeing the aurora include Norway and Sweden, Alaska, and even Scotland. But, as mentioned above, to really give yourself the best chance of seeing the aurora, you need to be patient, and willing to depart from the beaten track.
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