7 magical places to view auroras

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are colorful ribbons of light that appear in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, at altitudes from 60 to more than 250 miles.

They’re caused by geomagnetic storms from solar activity. Solar winds from this activity carry charged particles from the sun into Earth’s magnetic field, where they become trapped and begin to glow. The result is an otherworldly, dancing light show.

The first time I filmed an aurora borealis was from an icebreaker near Antarctica. Luckily, there are much more accessible places to watch northern lights.

For the best chance to see the northern lights, consider anywhere with a magnetic latitude above 55°F and low light pollution across the night sky. Find your magnetic latitude on NOAA and here.

Typically, the best countries to see northern lights are Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Greenland. North America has a few hot spots as well, including Alaska and Yellowknife, in Canada. In the polar latitudes, aurora borealis can appear on any dark night within the auroral oval.

Tips for seeing northern lights

Long winter nights are good but not necessarily the best time. Near equinoxes in March and September, the Earth’s magnetic field lets more solar particles interact with the atmosphere, creating aurora seasons. I suggest the fall equinox in September when there are pleasant temperatures in polar latitudes. Ideally, look for nights at the start of a new moon phase, when the night sky tends to be darkest. Check online moon phase calendars or sky guide apps .

Besides weather, dark, moonless skies will give you the best view of northern lights. The right season can also play a key role in improving your odds of catching auroras. Checking real-time northern lights forecasting sites or apps can help too.

Start your northern lights (and southern lights) adventure with my top spots around the world for viewing them.

(How to see the northern lights—and why they’re showing up more recently)

Iceland

Even without the northern lights, Iceland is an otherworldly place to visit, with glaciers, geysers, massive waterfalls, and volcanoes. Both the latitude and longitude of the country favor aurora viewing, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate. However, a good coastline road around the country lets you chase clear skies.

I have seen my best auroras from Kirkjufell mountain on the west coast. In high activity you can even spy the northern lights from the suburbs of Reykjavík; the Grotta Lighthouse is a popular viewing spot.

Across the country, sky watchers can take in the dancing lights from outdoor hot tubs, inside Buubble lodges, and from hot spring lagoons.

Best time to see auroras in Iceland: Late August to early April

Fairbanks, Alaska

Located just two degrees below the Arctic near the international airport and close to the impressive Denali National Park, Fairbanks is the best place in the U.S. to take in the northern lights. It even has its own forecast system and offers tours to take visitors far from city lights.

Best time to see auroras in Fairbanks: Late August to mid-April

Yellowknife, Canada

This Northwest Territories capital on the shores of Great Slave Lake boasts its own Aurora Village and special activities for northern lights tourism.

Canada is an aurora viewing paradise, thanks to its northern latitude and low light pollution; elsewhere in the country, Wood Buffalo and Jasper National Park are popular viewing spots.

Best time to see auroras in Canada: Mid-August to late April. For Churchill and Wood Buffalo, early August to early May.

Tromsø, Norway

The largest urban area in northern Norway is 217 miles north of the Arctic Circle, but thanks to the Gulf Stream the coastline has surprisingly moderate temperatures. It also has beautiful scenery, magnificent fjords, and the Lyngen Alps.

I have seen spectacular auroras from the village of Ersfjordbotn, 12 miles from Tromsø. Other popular locations in the country are the Lofoten Islands and the far northern towns of Alta, Nordkapp, and Kirkenes.

Best time to see auroras in Norway: Mid-September to late March

Northern Sweden and Finland

Sweden’s northernmost town of Kiruna is a gateway for nearby attractions. There is the ICEHOTEL, mountainous Abisko National Park, the local Sami culture, and plentiful reindeer.

A short drive from the town takes you to a good spot for aurora viewing. The weather here is much more stable than the Norwegian coast, but it’s colder too.

In Finland’s Lapland region, Rovaniemi serves as a gateway town to nearby national parks—where in winter you can spot frozen snow-covered trees called Tykky sculptures along with the northern lights.

Best time to see auroras in Sweden and Finland: Mid-September to late March

Greenland

It’s possible to be too far north to see the northern lights—such is the case in northern Greenland. But head farther south for beautiful auroras and attractions like Qaleraliq Glacier, which has small floating icebergs even in summer.

Best time to see auroras in Greenland: Mid-August to late April in the south and late August to mid-April in Nuuk.

Tasmania and New Zealand

You hear about northern lights more often than southern lights (aurora australis) because there are fewer locations to see auroras from the Southern Hemisphere.

Your best chance is on the southern tip of both Tasmania (Australia) and New Zealand, where a dark sky will help you see any active auroras over the southern horizon.

These are the closest accessible places to the south magnetic pole, outside of Antarctica.

Best time to see auroras in Australia and New Zealand: Year-round, but your best chances are near equinoxes.