Northern Lights: A Delight

The Northern Lights – an affair of the paradise witnessed commonly in the arctic regions is worth a lifetime that everyone must experience. Every performance of the lights is a different show that not only leaves you awestruck but also uplifts you spiritually. The dance of the vivid colours, as you stare at the sparkling sky is definitely a delight. The northern lights have grabbed intense attention lately owing to its increasing popularity. Social media and other digital form of communication has made it easier for people to know and learn about this extravagant phenomena pushing them to visit the places exhibiting it more with every passing year.

Formation of the northern lights is due to the collision of charged particles of the sun with the atoms of the earth’s atmosphere and before this was learnt, local legends came up with creative stories explaining the presence of the phenomenon. Locals of Greenland in fact believed that the lights were spirits of their ancestors visiting them once a while. In Churchill, Canada, the northern lights can be seen dancing on road from the car itself and even from certain places in continental US like Pennsylvania, the lights are visible. The Cherry Springs State Park has been given the highest designation for a dark sky site by International Dark Sky Association. This refers to the fact that the pollution here is minimal thus making the phenomenon of the sky much clearer and vivid.

The best time to witness the Aurora Borealis, the name by which it is more popularly known, is from September to early April with the period between October and November and February and March being the best. This is the time for Iceland or northern Scandinavia. Aurora Borealis also has its southern counterpart which is known as the Aurora Australis. Some of the best places to witness this magnificence are northwestern parts of Canada, Alaska, Yukon, southern tip of Iceland and Greenland. The lights are seen in the most undiluted manner in places where pollution is less. As you travel farther towards north, the viewing spots get better.

At night during the hours from 9 PM to 2 AM, the northern lights are best viewed. This is the prime time to witness the performance of the swirling lights. Hotels and resorts in the areas also provide for alarm systems for you to wake up so that you don’t have to stay up all night waiting for the lights to appear. At sub-zero temperature sitting outside and staring at the dazzling sky is something you would love doing here.

However, without intending to discourage anyone, it would be clever not to expect too much from the visit as the northern lights are not always a guaranteed affair. Getting obsessed to the idea of northern lights must not be the plan but rather to enjoy and witness the thrills of the place and make the arctic holiday a trip to remember.