Expedition Guide: In Search of the Northern Lights 

We were sailing from Alta, Norway, inside the Arctic Circle, and most of the guests on board had stayed up past midnight in the hope of catching a glimpse of the dancing night sky. The open decks were quiet, and the air was calm, almost eerie. The bridge had dimmed the outdoor lights on the ship, and those along the bow had been turned off.

We stood waiting patiently for the atmosphere to change and didn't wait long. Within minutes, gentle, grey, mist-like clouds appeared across the sky, moving erratically in every direction. The colours weren't visible to the naked eye, but once you looked through the lens of a camera, there it was. A bright green hue rolled through the air as if dancing to the soft beat of a drum. It was thrilling; I didn't know in which direction to look. This wasn't the first time I'd been fortunate to witness the Northern Lights, but it was certainly a moment that has stayed with me.

The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural light display in polar regions, particularly in areas close to the North Pole. This phenomenon is caused by the interaction between charged particles from the sun, known as solar wind, and the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.

The interplay of light often takes on forms like arcs, curtains, rays, or spirals, creating a magical experience for those lucky enough to witness it. The lights typically appear in shades of green but can also include pink, red, yellow, blue, and violet.

The Aurora Borealis is best viewed in locations near the magnetic poles, such as Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and Alaska. However, they are also commonly spotted across the British Isles, especially in Scotland and the north of England.

Most experts will tell you that they are best viewed during winter when the nights are long and the skies are at their darkest. This is usually between the end of October and mid-to-late February. However, they are often visible in Greenland from late August to April.

Norway is one of the best places in the world for sightings. Alta, located approx. 248 miles north of the Arctic Circle, is known as the "City of the Northern Lights" for good reason. Because of its clear skies, the Aurora Borealis can be seen for up to 200 nights a year due to the stable climate and minimal light pollution. 

Experts at NASA and other scientists predicted that 2024 would be an excellent year for spotting the Northern Lights. They believed the sun would reach a solar maximum—its highest period of activity in an 11-year cycle. This maximum would mean major disturbances from solar storms—in short, a 'super season'. That prediction came true, and many sightings have been made across the British Isles in August.

The Kp-index is a tool that can help you plan your aurora-spotting activities. This index measures magnetic disturbances caused by solar wind, ranging from 0 (low activity) to 9 (intense storms). While it doesn't describe how the aurora will appear, it can give you an idea of the activity forecast for your location. For example, a Kp-index of 2 or 3 can still produce beautiful auroras, but things get more exciting at 4 and above.

One website I recommend for tracking and sharing sightings is Aurorasaurus. This is the first and only citizen science initiative that tracks auroras worldwide via reports on their website and social media. All aurora-related tweets and reports are placed on the Aurorasaurus.org map. They then ask people to log in and verify the tweets or reports. Each verified report is a valuable data point for scientists to analyse and incorporate into space weather models. 

I used this a lot during my expedition cruise to monitor activity for the destinations I was visiting. Thanks to this and on the board experts, we had one evening of Northern Lights activity for over 5 hours. It was mind-blowing.

With the right tools, you can often capture superb aurora photographs. As I previously said, your camera can pick up very dim colours of the auroral spectrum that your eyes cannot see, and being on an expedition ship allows for more significant opportunities for photography. It can often be more accessible to see and capture the Northern Lights at sea because the ship is moving away from shoreside light pollution. To have an excellent opportunity to capture those magical photographs, there are a few things you’ll need:

Northern Lights photography can mean long and freezing nights on deck and ashore if partaking in this as an expedition-led shoreside activity. I advise dressing in layers, as staying warm is critical to an enjoyable experience. On board, you can take regular breaks to warm up again inside the ship, but this isn’t always an option if you’re ashore. During one of my visits to the Arctic Circle for Northern Lights viewing, the air temperature plummeted to -20 degrees Celsius, and I was glad I’d layered up and packed a few extras, just in case.