Solar winds interact with particles in the ionosphere, causing collisions between charged particles. These release energy in the form of light with varying color. The color of the northern lights depends mostly on the elements involved in the collisions. Most often, this is green with small amounts of red, but this can vary and include violet and purple. Science aside, they will leave you in complete awe and make awesome photographs to make your friends jealous. If you want to read more you can visit What Are The Northern Lights.
You can see the northern lights from a variety of countries. It is quite likely that you won't have to fly all that far. Norway, Canada, Greenland, Lapland, Iceland and Alaska all have places known by travelers for the sole purpose of seeing the lights. In some cities they can be seen as often as every night, weather permitting.
Several countries hold festivals in honor of the lights. One of the best is held in the arctic city of Tromso, northern Norway. For about a month each year starting late December, the sun stays below the horizon. The first dawn of the year is the night which launches the northern lights festival. The festival in Tromso involves a huge display of international music and is an great time for anyone who is lucky enough to be there.
Organizing A Northern Lights Holiday
Given that you are on this website, you have probably already decided that you want to see the northern lights. At a minimum you should be very interested in seeing them. Similar to any trip, the major options you have are to:
- Organize your entire journey on your own
- Have a travel agent book individual parts
- Book a fully catered tour or cruise
The latter two may require a lot less planning, but are usually more expensive. On the positive, most people go on vacation to relax, and having almost everything done for you is a sure fire way of getting your relaxation time in!
Although this is not always for everyone. It is usually cheaper, more flexible, and sometimes more fun to book the holiday yourself. That said, opting for a professionally guided northern lights tour or cruise is going to greatly increase your chances of seeing the lights. The disappointment of having to go home without having seen the northern lights after traveling halfway across the globe for that reason alone would be immense, and this alone is a good reason to book a tour. If you do your research properly, when booking yourself, the chances are still very high that you will see the lights, but tour operators know exactly where to be and when. When on a tour, there is also the added bonus of having professionals to share with you their knowledge of the lights.
Whatever option you choose, it will be an awesome experience for you and whoever else you take along. The northern lights impress people of all ages equally, and places such as Tromso have ample other activities for you to enjoy on your trip. You may be surprised at just how inexpensive and easy it is to see the northern lights for yourself. It is time to scratch one more item off your things-to-do-before-I-die list!
