The northern lights in Iceland is a stunning demonstration of the world’s magnetic field interacting with the charged particles of energy that come from our sun. It’s a scientific marvel, but also a beautiful thing for anyone to witness — no matter where you are in the world.
Here are a few facts about the northern lights in Iceland to get you excited for your trip.
Different ions can create different colours: Aurora displays happen when energy streams from the solar surface into the magnetic field of the earth. The charged particles move in spirals across magnetic field lines, hitting the atmosphere and throwing out colourful sparks. Because the air is largely made up of nitrogen atoms, most of the colour that you’ll see will be green. However, different atoms can create orange, red, and blue lights too.
The northern lights in Iceland are visible from space: It’s much easier to sign up with a tour company on land if you want to see the Iceland northern lights than to book a space tour. However, if you had access to your own rocket ship, you’d be able to see the same spectacular views from above the Earth’s orbit too. Astronauts must see genuinely incredible things when they’re looking down on the earth from above us.
The solar maximum makes the northern lights in Iceland stronger: The solar maximum happens when there’s the greatest amount of solar activity in the skies. This is the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland. However, there are also an increasing number of solar events taking place in the solar minimum too.
You can still see the northern lights in Summer: Although it’s best to plan your trip to Iceland in the winter if you want to see the Aurora, the lights do appear in summer too. During the summer months in Iceland, the sun never quite sets at the equinox, but circles the sky and touches the horizon instead. The brightness of the midnight sun obscures the northern lights during this time. However, you can see the lights faintly when the midnight sun isn’t active.
You can track the northern lights in Iceland: If you’re planning a trip to Iceland specifically because you want to see the Aurora, there are apps and tools to help. For instance, the SolarHam website offers three-day forecasts for aurora hunters, while the Forecast app shows you where the auroral circle is over the earth.