Aurora Borealis is a common phenomenon in the extreme ends of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere (the southern auroral zone in the south is called Aurora Australis).
What are Northern Lights?
This is a natural phenomenon where the magnetic field of the Earth collides with the electrically-charged particles present in the solar winds. As a result of the interaction, there are dancing lights in the sky that can be seen just above the Earth’s magneticpoles.When you watch the Northern Lights, it feels like you are watching the sky on fire, something you’re kids are sure to enjoy.
From where can you best view the Northern Lights with kids?
One of the best places to see the Aurora Borealis is from regions around the North Pole – Alaska, the northmost part of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Kola Peninsula in the north-western part of Russia.
Aurora Borealis is actually nature’s light show and looks amazing with a riot of colours – greens, reds, purples and yell
ows. It seems that the lights dance across the entire stretch of the Arctic skies. The best time to watch the Northern Lights with kids is between March and September, quite late at night – starting around midnight. The closer you are to the Arctic region, the more visible the lights will be.
Country-wise, the perfect months for watching the Northern Lights are as follows. Plan your trip to watch the Aurora Borealis accordingly:
Norway – You can watch the Northern Lights here between November to February with your family from Svalbard, Finnmark, Alta or Tromso.
Finland – You can see the Northern Lights during approximately 200 nights each year. Lapland is the best place to view the dancing lights.
Iceland – Watch the spectacular Northern Lights from late September to late April from the Pingvellir National Park.
Canada – The best place to watch the Northern Lights is from Manitoba with about 300 nights of aurora activity every year.
Alaska – The lights can be watched from the University of Alaska’s Aurora Forecast for best viewing.