Seascape with swans and northern lights (AI generated) (123RF)
The aurora borealis has long been mythologized throughout the world. Many beliefs and stories center around the ethereal lights that paint the night sky.
Indigenous American stories center around a spiritual connection to the deceased. Many suggest the northern lights are spirits holding torches to guide recently departed souls through the abyss and into the land of brightness and plenty. The Cree tribe believed the lights were a way to communicate with their ancestors and when dogs barked at the lights it was because they recognized their lost companions.
When the aurora appears further south in continental Europe, it can take on a deep red glow which led to the belief that it was a sinister omen warning of danger or war. Greco-Roman mythology personified the phenomenon through the goddess Aurora, who embodied the dawn as the sibling of Sun and Moon. Every day, Aurora raced across the sky in her chariot leaving behind a ribbon of colors to alert her brother and sister to the breaking of the new day.
Intense northern lights (Aurora borealis) over Baltic sea. rocky beach (Martins Vanags, 123RF)
Some of the most unique depictions of the northern lights are born out of northern European and U.K. countries. In Orkney, Scotland, the lights are called the “Merry Dancers,” the dancers being fallen angels or sky warriors engaged in an epic battle. Estonians believed the northern lights were mystical sleighs taking guests to a wedding celebration in the heavens. Swedish fishermen thought they were reflections of giant schools of herring swimming nearby, a sign of good fortune and a hefty catch. In Norse mythology, the lights were reflections bouncing off the shields and armor of the Valkyrie.
The Danish romanticized the lights, believing that they occurred because of swans competing to see who could swim furthest north. Some of the swans swam too far and became trapped in the ice. When they flapped their wings to break free, flurries of light were created in the dark sky. In Iceland, auroras are intertwined with the most primal human experience: childbirth. The luminescence was said to alleviate the pains of labor.
A commonality within these world-wide myths and legends is that they depict the northern lights as having a deep connection to the human condition and bridging the realms between reality and spirituality. While much of the lights can be explained by science, there is still an otherworldliness about them that excites us and makes sightings of their ephemeral beauty a special experience.
Finding the Aurora in Iceland
Iceland sits at a latitude of 64 degrees north, ideally located for geomagnetic activity. The extreme dark of the Icelandic winter and minimal light pollution also make it the perfect place to chase the northern lights. The best times to see the aurora borealis in Iceland is between October and March as the night sky is at its darkest. Prime sightings typically occur between 11p.m. and midnight. To find the northern lights on a starry night, look for Polaris, or the North Star which shines near true north. To find it more easily look for the big spoon in the sky as the constellation known as “The Big Dipper” points to the bright star. If a green arc is visible, then there is a good chance you will have a sighting.
To get to Iceland, you will likely fly. The main airport is Keflavík International, close to Reykjavík. Reykjavik is a vibrant city that makes for a great launch pad to explore Iceland via rental car or multi-day guided tours. A neat opportunity that Icelandair offers is a stopover program for transatlantic flights. So, if you are planning a trip from Europe to the United States or vice versa, you can stay in Iceland for up to seven days before being charged any additional airfare. If you are traveling from Denmark, you can take the M/S Norröna ferry and even bring your car.
In Iceland, taking a tour with an experienced guide can increase your chances of seeing the northern lights. Guides know exactly what to look for, and if you are not able to see them on the night of your tour, many companies offer a second chance for free. It is wise to plan the northern lights excursion early on in your trip, so you have time to try again if needed. There are even northern lights boat tours offered where you have the chance to view them from the sea and can, perhaps, imagine some very far north Danish swans shooting gusts of colors into the sky from the icy waters. Iceland has many incredible landscapes that make for memorable viewings of auroras.
Thingvellir National Park or better known as Iceland pingvellir National Park during winter (123RF)
Iceland has many incredible landscapes that make for memorable viewings of the aurora. Thingvellir National Park, Ásbyrgi Canyon, and Kirkjufell Mountain are notable places to go with open space and less light pollution. The Westfjords have the longest hours of darkness and less cloud cover, making this area the most ideal to see them. Or, if you want a more relaxed trip, you may be lucky to see the aurora as you soak in the thermal springs of the Blue Lagoon.
While the northern lights may be the main focus of your Iceland trip, the land of fire and ice has many other can’t-miss sites such as Diamond Beach where chunks of icebergs wash up on the black sand shore and resemble diamonds; Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and Basalt Columns, which closely resemble northern Ireland’s Giants Causeway and has been used for filming locations such as in; “Game of Thrones,” and the Golden Circle which encompasses stunning geographic sites like Gullfoss Waterfall, Gullfossglijúfur Canyon and the Great Geyser, Strokkur.
Whale watching, puffin tours and ice climbing are other activities you won’t want to miss while in Iceland. While you are enjoying all Iceland has to offer, keep an eye on the sky as you never know when the aurora might make an appearance.
What exactly is the aurora borealis, why is it so elusive, and how has it come to be?
The aurora borealis, or northern lights are an ancient light display in the night sky that have enchanted humankind for thousands of years, inspiring myths and legends. Typically, they are only visible where Earth’s magnetic fields are strongest: near the north pole above a latitude of 60 degrees north, or in the south pole at latitudes below 60 degrees south. The southern lights are called the aurora australis.
2024 has been a big year for viewing the northern lights due to an exceptionally strong G5-level geomagnetic storm. On May 10-11, you may have read about the rare sightings or were lucky enough to experience the lights, viewable as far south as the Carolinas in the United States and Italy in Europe. This year the sun is nearing the end of an eleven-year cycle. At the end of each cycle the sun becomes more active as it prepares for its magnetic fields to flip polarities. This causes extra activity from the sun with higher volumes of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which are clouds of charged particles. When these charged particles are launched, they travel 150 million kilometers along the Earth’s magnetic field and collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. These collisions create flashes that fill our sky up with light.
Depending on the state of electrons, gases present in the atmosphere and altitude, those flashes can take on different colors that create the northern lights. Higher levels of solar activity lead to more vibrant displays.
Northern lights over a lake (Shin Okamoto, 123RF)
· For red hues, excited atomic oxygen at high altitudes above 150 miles (241km) must be present. Excited atomic oxygen can be thought of as an electron that’s been given extra energy by absorbing a photon or colliding into another atom.
· Green is the most frequently seen color during northern lights sightings. It also forms when excited atomic oxygen is present in the atmosphere; however, it occurs at lower altitudes, up to 150 miles (241km).
· Blue is the rarest color seen when viewing the northern lights because nitrogen alone produces blue, and it can only be seen at altitudes below 60 miles (96.6km).
· Purple is another less common color of the aurora and is seen when ionized molecular nitrogen is present at an altitude above 60 miles (96.6km).
