subject: When And How To See The Aurora Borealis In Iceland With Precision [print this page] The aurora borealis, without a doubt, is one of the greatest spectacles in the skies and should be ranked as one of greatest wonders of the world. The aurora is caused by charged particles coming from the sun entering the Earth's atmosphere through magnetic attraction of the poles. As they come in contact with the atmosphere, electrical charge is produced and the atmospheric gases produce chemical reactions, resulting to variety of neon-like colors appearing in the sky.
Iceland is blessed to be situated within the auroral zone where the aurora is seen on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, some tinges of the northern lights are visible in Iceland almost every night when the skies are clear and dark. The intensity fluctuates from time to time and it largely depends on factors like weather conditions, atmospheric gas concentrations, and density of charged particles. Sometimes, travelers are lucky enough to see a brilliant show of the aurora even against the city lights. But the quality is significantly increased if you purposely retreat to the outskirts to view the spectacle.
The northern lights in Iceland randomly appear an hour short before midnight to one the next day. Unlike in Norway and Alaska where the northern lights can be seen best during winter, the northern lights in Iceland apparently like to flaunt during spring and autumn and appear to be brightest during these seasons. It is also observed that the aurora in Iceland forms arcs and rays compared to the curtain-like appearances of the Alaska northern lights.
A method of forecasting the aurora is developed by observing and monitoring the sun's storm activity. When astronomers detect a minor eruption on the sun's surface, it is more likely that an aurora borealis will appear in a couple of days. The formula goes like this: the more chaotic and stormy the sun's surface becomes, the higher the possibility of it giving off dense solar particles. The denser the solar particles come in contact to the Earth's atmosphere and the higher the concentration of atmospheric gases, the more distinct and brighter the colors of the northern lights. In the end, spectators who wish to see this miracle are at the mercy of Mother Nature. One important lesson we can learn here: the best things in life will only come if we are persistent enough to get them, and the magnificent aurora borealis is one of them.
