{"id":7182,"date":"2021-11-03T10:30:14","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T14:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aesu.com\/?p=7182"},"modified":"2021-11-03T10:30:14","modified_gmt":"2021-11-03T14:30:14","slug":"chasing-the-northern-lights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bobeckmedia.com\/aesu\/chasing-the-northern-lights\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing the Northern Lights"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chasing<\/a>
Chasing the Northern Lights can be tough for a beginner, but the photo ops at the end make it totally worth it!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the winter, one of the best reasons to travel is to find and see the famed Northern Lights in person. This natural phenomenon, also known by the scientific name of Aurora Borealis, is caused by the reaction of the bombardment of particles from the sun with the Earth\u2019s atmosphere. It is particularly common in areas close to the North Pole \u2013 and countries such as Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and more have made their reputation with international travelers partially on the sight of the Northern Lights. But it\u2019s not as simple as just planning a trip to one of those countries and waiting for the Lights to show up. There are things you can do to plan for and further your chances of seeing the Northern Lights clearly. Here are some of the best tips.<\/p>\n

Know Where and When to Look<\/h2>\n

Prime viewing times for the Northern Lights can vary depending on where in the world you decide to base your hunting trip. Norway is generally considered the best place to see the Lights, with an estimate of 70-90% of cloudless evenings featuring the Lights from August to mid-April in places like Troms\u00f6. Many visitors to Iceland make the mistake of chasing the lights just outside the capital of Reykjav\u00edk \u2013 while the city itself is full of charm, the skies are often cloudy and do not lend to good viewing of the Lights. Find a location a little further from the man-made lights of the city, such as Landmannalaugar or Hveravellir, and you should have better success. Experts recommend a trip to Iceland sometime between mid-September and mid-April and try to plan it around a new moon for better visibility.<\/p>\n

Have Patience<\/h2>\n

Those who chase the Northern Lights know that they can sometimes be fickle. One of the most common mistakes of newbies is giving up after watching for about 20 minutes. The pros will sometimes chase the Lights for up to 2 hours at a time \u2013 and once discovered, the show can last as little as 10 minutes, but it could also carry on for the entire night. Modern technology has made it at least a little bit easier to track down the Lights \u2013 you can check out several phone apps that are dedicated to it on the official VisitNorway<\/a> site.<\/p>\n

Plan Other Fun Things to Do!<\/h2>\n

While the Northern Lights are the main draw of an adventure to the north in the dead of winter, your destination offers so much more to be discovered during the daytime too! Iceland\u2019s famed hot springs<\/a> and beautiful natural wonders are sights in themselves to behold and may compete for space on your camera roll with pictures of the Lights. In Norway, you could also go out to spot a polar bear in Laukvik, or explore the wonderful museums and art galleries in Troms\u00f6. Winter sports are also very popular in all these locations, so hit the slopes or try out bobsledding for the first time! No matter where you end up, there will definitely be fun to be had as you count down to another hunt for the Lights!<\/p>\n

Explore the World with AESU!<\/h2>\n

Are you ready to plan an adventure of a lifetime? AESU offers unique, thrilling travel programs for college students and young professionals at affordable rates. Each trip is action-packed and informal\u2014designed just for people your own age. We are also able to design custom tours just for your group.<\/p>\n

Experience an exhilarating adventure in 2022 on the\u00a0Cosmopolitan<\/a>,\u00a0Great Escape<\/a>,\u00a0Greek Island Hopper tour,<\/a>\u00a0and more! 2022 tour dates are now available! If you have any questions or want help booking your next adventure, please contact AESU by calling 800-638-7640, or fill out the contact form found on our website. Follow AESU on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>, and\u00a0Pinterest<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the winter, one of the best reasons to travel is to find and see the famed Northern Lights in person. This natural phenomenon, also known by the scientific name of Aurora Borealis, is caused by the reaction of the bombardment of particles from the sun with the Earth\u2019s atmosphere. It is particularly common in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"postBodyCss":"","postBodyMargin":[],"postBodyPadding":[],"postBodyBackground":{"backgroundType":"classic","gradient":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,590],"tags":[672,343,673],"class_list":["post-7182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-travel-tips","category-iceland","tag-aurora-borealis","tag-northern-lights","tag-winter-travel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChasing the Northern Lights - AESU Travel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Chasing the Northern Lights can be tough for a beginner, but the photo ops at the end make it totally worth it!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bobeckmedia.com\/aesu\/chasing-the-northern-lights\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chasing the Northern Lights - 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