Aurora Borealis Info
Find out how the auroras happen and how to find them!Discover the Magic of Auroras!
How do the northern lights appear?
What Is the Aurora Borealis?
The aurora borealis happen when the charged particles from the Sun (called “solar wind”) make collisions with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. The gases become excited and emit light — mostly green but sometime red, purple or even pink.
How Often Can I See Auroras in Lapland?
In Rovaniemi region, the aurora are visible on about 80-85% of the nights, but only if the sky is clear. Clouds are the main factor that can prevent you from seeing the auroras, and can significantly reduce your chances — if you only stay at one spot. Early-to-mid winter is particularly known to be difficult with the weather, when clouds can persist over the region for days or even weeks in a row. In practice, that means that auroras can be visible in Rovaniemi region only on about 10–30% of the nights. That’s why going hunting and searching for clear skies greatly improves your chances.
There are also about 10–15% of the nights when, despite having clear skies, the auroras do not appear to be visible to the naked eye (but only with camera). This happens due to weak solar wind, and is completely natural.
What is the “best place” to see the auroras?
This is a question that is hard answer exactly. There are several regions in the world that are known for aurora tourism: Tromsø in Norway, Abisko in Sweden, Iceland, Alaska, among others. Finnish Lapland is one of such regions — it is quite vast, with many sub-regions inside it. All these areas are situated roughly between 65°N and 71°N, which places them right under the auroral oval, where the northern lights most commonly appear.
There’s a concept that “the farther north, the better the chances”. This can be true on the nights with low aurora activity, when the auroral oval is withdrawn more towards the northern part of the “aurora corridor” (69°N–71°N). On most nights, however, the auroras can be seen throughout the aurora zone, including the lower north latitudes (64°N–67°N) — but at different angle in the sky (low on the horizon vs. overhead), and their perceived intensity differs. With high aurora activity, the aurora oval pushes equatorward, and auroras can be seen above head much more southward, in lower high latitudes, and even in upper mid latitudes.
Most common problem for any of those regions is the clouds. One night it can be clear and good auroras in northern Norway, other night it can be totally cloudy there, with Finnish Lapland, or Sweden taking its turn at clear skies.
So, essentially, the best area to see the auroras changes and shifts, according to the weather, clouds, and the aurora activity.
Rovaniemi, where my aurora ours start, is situated in the centre of Finnish Lapland and is well connected with roads. This provides for a good starting point to explore any area north, west, east or south in Lapland that has th best forecast for clear skies on a given night. Swedish Lapland is only 1 hour away from Rovaniemi, and we often go there for the hunts (no visa or passport needed).
Are the auroras visible to the naked eye?
The strength and visibility of auroras depend on solar activity. On most normal nights, only the green colour of the aurora is seen well enough with the naked eye — the rest of the colours is better seen by camera. Auroras often start as a mere pale grey line, or a soft glow on the horizon. With time, they can intensify and become more vibrant — emerald green, or yellowish green. The duration of the aurora can vary between only a few minutes, to them lasting all night — this is impossible to predict. With stronger solar activity, northern lights appears more colourful to the naked eye and last longer, occasionally producing intense & short displays of green, yellowish, red and pink colours during the aurora expansion or substorm stage.
When is the best time to see the auroras?
The aurora season in Lapland lasts from mid August until the late April. The best seasons are from early September until the end of October, as well as from end February through March and early of April. Strong auroras depend on the solar activity, and are possible in any month of the season, but they are statistically less likely to occur in winter months — November, December and January. I’ve written an in-depth article about the best time to see auroras, and I invite you to read it here: best months to see northern lights!
What are the best months to see northern lights?
Find out in my article!
FAQ: All About Aurora
I still remember my first nights chasing the aurora — full of excitement and questions.
To help you get ready, I’ve gathered answers to the most common things people ask. Let’s make your northern lights adventure unforgettable!
What is aurora boreals?
Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural light display that appears in the sky — most often visible in the high-latitude areas such as Finnish Lapland, Norway, Iceland, Russia, Alaska Canada etc.
Auroras happen when charged particles from the sun (solar wind) collide with Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. These collisions excite atoms like oxygen and nitrogen, causing them to glow in beautiful colors — typically green, pink and red.
When can you see the northern lights, and what’s the best time of year?
Aurora is visible from mid-August until end-April – when there is night in Lapland. It is not possible to see auroras in summer months (May-August) because there is daylight around the clock. I organize my tours from September until Mid-April, when there is enough night time available to have a good chance of seeing the auroras.
Best times to see the auroras are around Equinoxes – September & October, as well as March & early April. This is due to the “Equinox effect”, and it is backed by statistics.
Auroras are of course also visible in November, Decemeber, January and February – depending on the weatther & aurora activitity.
The main issue with aurora visibility is cloudy weather. It does not matter how strong the activity is, if the clouds are are covering the show. It is also important to be outside of city lights. This is what the tour is for – finding clear skies, pristine nature areas, and auroras.
How Often Are Auroras Visible?
This is really impossible to answer precisely. I estimate that auroras are visible on about 85–90% of the nights in Lapland — but only if the skies are clear.
On those nights, auroras can range from a faint line on the horizon lasting just 5 minutes, to intense displays dancing across the entire sky for hours. Or anything in between!
With regular solar activity, they often appear as an arc (or two) near the northern horizon, typically lasting 15–90 minutes per night. They may shift, ascend in the sky and ripple slightly, but usually don’t explode overhead.
Does the Moon Affect Aurora Visibility?
Aurora visibility to the naked eye can be affected by the moon phase.
During a full moon, the extra ambient light can wash out faint auroras, especially for those seeing them for the first time. Subtle arcs and colors may be harder to notice in bright conditions.
However, when auroral activity is moderate to strong, the moon’s brightness is less of a problem — and can even be a benefit. A moonlit landscape helps illuminate trees, snow, and foreground details, often resulting in better photos.
If you want to play it safe, aim for a new moon or crescent phase.
That way, you’ll get darker skies for visibility, with just enough light for photogenic scenes.