Last chance for the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, can be visible from the northern hemisphere every year from the end of August to the first weeks of April. That is if you are far enough to the north, like in Iceland.

So in fact there are about two months left to see the Northern Lights from Iceland this year, and it is definitely not the last chance in the future. It so happens that because of extra activity on the sun, we have been fortunate enough to see major activity the last few weeks.

What are the Northern Lights?

It all starts with eruptions on the Sun. In these eruptions, ions are thrown away in all directions, and those who come close to Earth are swayed away and around the planet by the power of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is protecting us from these ions, which are, in fact, dangerous to life. The ions still manage to touch our atmosphere very high up in the sky, and when an ion hits an atom, it gains power and releases it in the form of light. When the ions hit an oxygen atom, it produces green light; it produces red or blue light when it hits a nitrogen atom. This is why the Northern Lights can sometimes show all the colors of the rainbow.

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

A couple with Northern Lights

Northern Lights pictures taken by Season Tours guides

Not all years have an equal amount of Northern Lights, and a theory for the reason goes like this: The Sun rotates around itself once every 25 Earth days, but that is only the center of the Sun. The northern and southern regions of the Sun rotate a bit slower, so the Sun is twisting itself, causing a change in its magnetic field. There is about an eleven-year cycle where the Sun almost loses all of its magnetic field, which then flips, where north becomes south and vice versa, and starts increasing again. When the magnetic field is strong, fewer ions escape the Sun to produce Northern Lights on Earth, and when the magnetic field is very low on the Sun, more ions escape in the eruptions, and this is why there have been stronger Northern Lights this winter and most likely the following years.

Don't come to Iceland only for the Northern Lights

It is like visiting Ireland to experience rain. You never know if it is going to rain or not. In fact, I have been to Ireland three times and was never rained upon! Visit Iceland for its beautiful scenery, great food, and historical places, and look at the Northern Lights as a bonus if you get to see them.