Aurora Borealis Beginners Guide: Everything You Need to Know About the Northern Lights

The first time the northern lights appear, people lose the ability to speak. Not because it's expected — most aurora hunters have already googled what to expect — but because the sky does things you didn't think were possible. Green ribbons fold into themselves. Pink and purple arc overhead. The whole thing moves like something alive.

But getting there takes some planning. There's conflicting advice online, variable weather, and a lot of expensive tours of dubious value. This guide cuts through the noise and gives you exactly what you need to plan your first northern lights trip.

What Causes the Northern Lights?

The aurora borealis is caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with gases in Earth's atmosphere. Here's the simplified version:

1. The sun releases solar wind — a stream of charged particles (electrons and protons) that travel through space at 300–800 km/s.
2. Earth's magnetic field deflects most of it, but some particles are funnelled toward the magnetic poles along field lines.
3. These particles collide with atmospheric gases (mainly oxygen and nitrogen) at altitudes of 100–300 km.
4. The gases emit light — oxygen produces green and red, nitrogen produces blue and purple.

Solar Cycles and Why 2026 Is Special

The sun operates on an approximately 11-year cycle of activity. We're currently near the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which means solar activity is high, coronal mass ejections are more frequent, and auroras are stronger and more visible than they've been in years.

This is genuinely significant. During solar maximum, auroras are visible further south than usual, displays are brighter and more colourful, and the chances of seeing them on any given clear night are substantially higher. If you've been thinking about a northern lights trip, the next 1–2 years are the time to do it.

Where to See the Northern Lights

The aurora is visible within and near the auroral oval, which sits roughly between 65° and 72° north latitude. But geography, weather patterns, and light pollution matter enormously.

Best Destinations by Country

Norway — The most popular and arguably the best overall destination. Tromsø is the northern lights capital of the world, with excellent tour infrastructure, direct flights, and a lively city to enjoy during the day. Lofoten offers dramatic fjord scenery as a backdrop. Alta has some of the most stable clear-sky statistics in northern Scandinavia.

Iceland — Reykjavik is the most accessible northern lights destination — cheap flights from both Europe and North America, no visa requirements for most nationalities, and stunning landscapes. The downside is Iceland's weather: cloud cover is frequent and unpredictable. But when skies clear, the aurora over Icelandic landscapes is extraordinary. Akureyri in the north tends to have clearer skies.

Finland — Rovaniemi combines aurora watching with the Santa Claus Village and Finnish Lapland culture. Inari and Sodankylä are further north with less light pollution and excellent aurora probabilities. Finland is also home to the famous glass igloo hotels.

Sweden — Abisko has a microclimate created by nearby Lake Torneträsk that makes it one of the statistically clearest places to see the aurora in all of Scandinavia. The Aurora Sky Station is legendary among aurora hunters. Kiruna is nearby and offers the ICEHOTEL.

Alaska — Fairbanks is the best aurora destination in North America, sitting directly under the auroral oval with clear, cold winter skies.

Canada — Yellowknife and Whitehorse are both excellent, with Yellowknife boasting over 240 aurora-visible nights per year.

When to See the Northern Lights

The northern lights happen year-round, but you can only see them when it's dark enough. That means:

• Season: September to March (roughly). The equinox months (September/October and February/March) are statistically among the best due to geomagnetic effects.
• Time of night: 9 PM to 2 AM is peak time, though displays can happen anytime it's dark.
• Moon phase: A full moon doesn't prevent you from seeing the aurora, but a darker sky makes fainter displays more visible. Don't obsess over this — a strong aurora overwhelms moonlight.

Month-by-Month Breakdown

September–October: Equinox effect boosts activity. Temperatures are milder (0°C to -5°C in most destinations). Good balance of darkness and liveable weather. Autumn colours add to the scenery.

November–December: Long dark nights give maximum viewing hours. Can be very cold (-15°C to -25°C). Christmas atmosphere in Lapland destinations.

January–February: Coldest months but also very dark. January offers polar night in the far north — 24 hours of darkness means you can potentially see aurora at any hour. February brings the first hints of returning light and is many photographers' favourite month.

March: Another equinox boost. Temperatures warming. Longer days but still plenty of darkness. An excellent time for combining aurora watching with daytime snow activities.

How to Maximise Your Chances

Seeing the northern lights is never guaranteed — it's a natural phenomenon dependent on solar activity and weather. But you can dramatically improve your odds:

1. Stay Multiple Nights

This is the single most important factor. A 2-night trip gives you roughly a 50-60% chance of seeing a display. A 4-5 night trip pushes that to 80-90%. Weather is the main variable — you need clear skies, and you can't control clouds.

Minimum recommended stay: 3–4 nights.

2. Get Away from Light Pollution

City lights wash out all but the brightest displays. You don't need to be in complete wilderness — 20–30 minutes from a town centre is usually sufficient. Most guided tours take you to proven dark-sky locations.

3. Monitor Forecasts

Several apps and websites provide aurora forecasts:

• My Aurora Forecast (app) — simple, location-based probability
• SpaceWeatherLive — detailed solar wind data and Kp index forecasts
• NOAA 30-minute forecast — the most scientifically accurate short-term prediction
• Local weather services — Norwegian, Icelandic, and Finnish met offices provide cloud cover forecasts that are critical

4. Be Patient and Flexible

The aurora can appear suddenly, intensify for 20 minutes, then fade. Or it can pulse gently all night. Be prepared to stay up late, drive to clearer skies, and accept that some nights will be cloudy. This is part of the adventure.

How to Photograph the Northern Lights

Capturing the aurora is easier than you think with modern cameras — but a few basics make the difference between a blurry green smear and a stunning image.

Camera Settings

• Mode: Manual (M)
• Aperture: As wide as your lens allows (f/2.8 or wider is ideal)
• Shutter speed: 8–15 seconds for detailed curtain structure, up to 25 seconds for faint displays
• ISO: 1600–3200 (higher for faint aurora, lower for bright displays)
• Focus: Manual focus set to infinity. Use live view zoomed in on a bright star to nail focus, then tape it.
• White balance: Around 3500K, or auto and correct in post

Essential Gear

• Tripod — absolutely non-negotiable. No tripod = no aurora photos.
• Wide-angle lens — 14–24mm captures the scale of the display
• Extra batteries — cold drains batteries 3–4x faster. Keep spares warm inside your jacket.
• Remote shutter release — prevents camera shake. A 2-second timer works too.

Smartphone Photography

Modern smartphones (iPhone 14 Pro and later, Samsung Galaxy S23+, Google Pixel 7+) can capture surprisingly good aurora photos using their night mode. Props the phone against something stable or use a phone tripod mount. The results won't match a dedicated camera but they're more than good enough for social media.

For more detailed camera techniques, see our northern lights photography guide.

What to Wear for Aurora Watching

Aurora watching means standing still outdoors for 1–3 hours in sub-zero temperatures. This is fundamentally different from walking around a city in winter. When you're not generating body heat through movement, cold penetrates fast.

The Layer System

Base layer: Merino wool top and bottom. Avoid cotton — it absorbs sweat and makes you colder.

Mid layer: Fleece jacket plus an insulated down or synthetic jacket. For legs, fleece-lined trousers or dedicated insulated trousers.

Outer shell: Windproof and waterproof jacket and trousers. Wind is the real enemy — it strips heat from your body.

Hands: Thin liner gloves for camera handling plus heavy insulated mittens. Switch between them.

Feet: Wool socks and boots rated to at least -25°C. Cold feet are the #1 complaint on aurora tours.

Head: Warm beanie covering ears, plus a neck gaiter or balaclava for windy nights.

Many tour operators in Tromsø and Rovaniemi provide thermal suits and boots — ask when booking.

For a complete gear list, see our Arctic packing guide.

Guided Tour vs Self-Hunting

Guided Tours

Pros: Local knowledge of best viewing spots, transportation handled, often include warm drinks and campfires, guides can "chase" clear skies by driving to breaks in cloud cover, photography assistance.

Cons: Cost ($100–250 per person per night), fixed schedule, shared experience with a group.

Best for: First-timers, those without a rental car, anyone visiting cloudy destinations like Iceland.

Self-Hunting

Pros: Freedom to go when and where you want, no schedule constraints, more intimate experience, cheaper over multiple nights.

Cons: Requires a rental car, you need to find dark locations yourself, no expert guidance, driving in Arctic winter conditions.

Best for: Experienced travellers, those staying 4+ nights, photographers who want to choose their own compositions.

Common Myths Debunked

"You need to go to the middle of nowhere." Not true. You need darkness, but 20 minutes from a small town is usually enough.

"The aurora is always green." Green is most common, but strong displays include purple, pink, red, and blue. Cameras capture colours more vividly than the naked eye, especially for fainter displays.

"You can only see them in winter." You need darkness, which limits viewing to roughly September–March in the Arctic. But during solar maximum, strong displays are visible at lower latitudes even in September when nights are relatively short.

"If the forecast says low activity, don't bother looking." Forecasts are imperfect. Some of the best displays arrive with little warning. Always check the sky before going to bed.

Planning Your First Trip

Here's the quick-start recommendation for a first-timer:

1. Choose Tromsø or Reykjavik — best infrastructure, easiest to reach, plenty to do during the day
2. Go for 4–5 nights in January, February, or early March
3. Book 1–2 guided tours and keep other nights free for self-hunting
4. Download aurora forecast apps before you go
5. Dress properly — invest in good base layers and warm boots
6. Bring a tripod if you want photos
7. Set expectations — even if you don't see a spectacular display, the Arctic winter landscape is stunning in its own right

Explore our destination guides for Tromsø, Abisko, Rovaniemi, and Reykjavik to start planning your aurora adventure.