Northern Lights

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are a mystical sighting and has been a source of myth and heritage, but have a natural cause

Imagine a cold dark night near the Arctic Circle, the wind barely moves a strand of hair, and the star bright night sky is flaring with colors of green and purple. Iceland is becoming a popular winter destination, and the main attraction are the Northern Lights.

“The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere. Variations in colour are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding. The most common auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red aurora.
The connection between the Northern Lights and sunspot activity has been suspected since about 1880. Thanks to research conducted since the 1950's, we now know that electrons and protons from the sun are blown towards the earth on the 'solar wind'. ” (Northern Lights Center)

Saga Travel offers a wide range of tours and packages designed to experience these mystical nights of the north in the best possible situation. North Iceland is a prime location to increase your chances to witness the Northern Lights, since cloud coverage above the area is on average the least in Iceland.

Planing Your Northern Lights Holiday
We recommend to everyone planning their Northern Lights holiday so that they go for the destination and not just the Northern Lights. This means that when on your holiday you should look at the Northern Lights as a perfect and desirable bonus to a great trip to where ever you go. Below you will both find day tours and holiday deals that will assist you in planning your ideal winter break.

Read more about the Northern Lights on our blogs about them:

Searching for the Northern Lights

The Season of Northern Lights is upon us

For even more information visit our friends at Auoraforecast

Photographing the lights is combination of luck, location and the right moment