Where: All of Sweden
When: Mainly spring and autumn
What: Aurora Borealis
In 2022, after living in Sweden for just 5 months, all our summer guests hoped to witness it, only the last one had the honor... experiencing the Northern Lights.
OUR FIRST AURORA EXPERIENCE
We knew the chances of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights here in Sweden were higher than in the Netherlands, but we had no clue how. So, we asked around among locals. Many hadn't seen it either. A few suggested the 'My Aurora Forecast' app. That shed some light. Further internet digging taught us we needed to find a really dark spot to witness it, of course with a clear view to the north. However, the Northern Lights could appear directly overhead or in other directions as well.
In September, 'My Aurora Forecast' suddenly pinged us; the KP was high. KP measures geomagnetic activity, indicating the likelihood of the Northern Lights. The farther north you are, the lower the KP needed to spot the aurora. In Kiruna, a KP of 3 or 4 might be enough, while further south, you might need a KP of 8 or 9. It's a prediction, so like the weather, there's no guarantee it'll play out. The app showed a KP of 5, reason enough for us to venture out into the dark. Exciting!
We hastily jumped into the car, searching for a dark spot. Arriving there... nothing. Initially, I thought, 'See, it's not visible here after all.' Still, we stayed put in the pitch-black, staring at the night sky. Our friend, who wasn't very confident about it all and felt like she had ended up in a documentary looking for hurricanes, got chilly and went to sit in the car to warm up. She had just left when suddenly, I spotted moving light patches in the sky. Not green, but definitely something I hadn't seen before. I snapped a photo, and wow! On my camera's screen danced a beautiful green aurora in the sky. I hurried to the car to fetch my friend. Her first response: 'You're joking', haha. The three of us stood there jumping with joy and disbelief. Wow, what an experience! It felt so surreal!
Afterward, we delved deeper into the phenomenon and how best to capture it. We still regularly head out at night, and it's always exciting even if there is nothing to see. I'll never forget that first experience though.
WHAT IS AURORA?
Aurora, also known as the Northern Lights or polar lights, is a stunning natural phenomenon primarily visible near the poles. It occurs when charged particles from the sun, generated by solar winds, penetrate Earth's atmosphere and react with gases like oxygen and nitrogen. This creates colorful light displays in the sky, usually in green, pink, purple, and blue hues. Since we see auroras near the North Pole, we call it the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. Toward the South Pole, auroras are also visible, but then it's called the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis.
WHY IS THE CHANCE OF SEEING AURORA GREATER NEAR THE POLES?
Earth's magnetic fields guide charged particles from solar storms toward the poles, increasing the likelihood of them entering Earth's upper atmosphere. Additionally, it's darker for longer in winter closer to the poles, and the darker it is, the better the Northern Lights visibility. In many places, there's also less light pollution near the poles due to lower population density, which further enhances visibility.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO SEE AURORA?
Aurora can happen all year round, but the best chances are around spring and autumn. This is because around those times, the interaction between solar wind and Earth's magnetic field increases the likelihood of major magnetic storms, which bring better Northern Lights displays.
CAN YOU ALWAYS SEE AURORA WITH THE NAKED EYE?
It depends on how strong the aurora is, but not always. At night, our eyes naturally see less, and colors are less distinct. That's why you might see auroras as white light instead of green, red, or purple. A camera, with its light-sensitive sensor and long exposure times, can capture light much better and display a much clearer and more colorful image.
WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH AURORA YOURSELF?
Keep an eye on the KP in an aurora app and scout out the darkest spot you can find. Also, be sure to consider the moon phase and cloud cover. The best way to photograph auroras is with a camera on a tripod. That way, you avoid any blur from movement since you'll need a long exposure time in the dark. I also use a remote control to avoid any shake from pressing the shutter button. You can also use the self-timer on your camera for this purpose. For more night photography tips, I suggest checking out my blog on capturing the Milky Way, where I dive a bit more into the technical aspects and provide some helpful links for night photography.
Despite not living very far north in Sweden, we can still regularly witness this extraordinary phenomenon here. We'll definitely make a trip up north someday in the hopes of catching it there. Aurora is a magical, almost surreal natural spectacle to behold, so I definitely recommend doing some research or go with a guide and experiencing it yourself.
HELPFUL LINKS:
'My Aurora Forecast' App in Appstore:
'My Aurora Forecast' App in Google Play: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrustonapps.myauroraforecast&hl=en_US
My blog on capturing the Milky Way:
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