Aurora Season: When You Can See the Northern Lights
Witnessing the mesmerizing northern lights requires three essential elements: strong solar activity, a clear sky, and, most importantly, darkness. Solar activity happens year-round, with varying intensity, and a clear sky can appear on any night. But the real question is: when does the night fall dark enough for the aurora to truly light up the sky?
Faint aurora at the beginning of the season in Lapland
As you might already know, in popular aurora regions, there’s a phenomenon called the polar day, lasting from April to August. During this time, even if the northern lights are dancing in the sky, it’s simply too bright to see them. The aurora becomes visible when the sun dips around 10° below the horizon. At this point, the sky begins to darken, revealing dozens of the brightest stars. That’s when the magic begins, as the darkness allows the aurora to shine through, starting to create a breathtaking spectacle in the night sky.
When it gets dark enough in popular aurora regions
Canada, Churchill 17 July - 26 May
Canada, Whitehorse 27July - 16 May
Canada, Yellowknife 3 August - 9 May
Iceland, Reykjavik 9 August - 3 May
Alaska, Fairbanks 11 August - 1 May
Finland, Rovaniemi 18 August - 25 April
Finland, Levi 22 August - 21 April
Sweden, Kiruna 22 August - 21 April
Norway, Tromso 27 August - 16 April
But avoid the first and last weeks
During the first and last weeks of the season, the aurora will be faint, visible only in the middle of the night. While it’s tempting to photograph the aurora from the start of the season, from a photography perspective, it’s better to wait a week or two for the nights to become darker and longer, offering better visibility.
Beyond the polar regions
Further from the polar regions, where there is no polar day, you can still find stunning locations for aurora photography year-round, especially in Canada. Because of its location near the geomagnetic pole, auroras can be visible even with moderate geomagnetic activity. Other notable locations include the northern US states along the Canadian border, the UK, and southern Australia and New Zealand. However, the best way to experience this mesmerizing phenomenon is by visiting the polar regions, where the displays are most vivid and truly spectacular.
