Looking for the Northern Lights - Need Advise

[nunzionuk]

Hi,

My brother and I are planning a trip to see the northern lights, in 2013 (I know, long time away), and we would like somewhere where we can camp, as we are not great fans of Hotels or such.

We was hoping Norway area, but need advise/help on knowing what we need, places, and times, to go. I have done some basic research into what equipment we need, but thats pretty much it, guess I am being a tad lazy asking here really, but I am lost as to were to start for the planning.

Has anyone done this before?

TIA,
Nunz

 

[rik_uk3]

Google

norway northern lights tour

Might be cheaper going on a tour than paying flights, accommodation, winter/Arctic kit especially with no Arctic camping experience.

 

[lannyman8]

its a good thing to see mate, i was there years ago with the army, beautiful thing to see over the muntains at night.....

 

[ged]

You can sign up to get alerts when conditions in the UK are favourable here:

http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/

but you're not going to see them very often from Essex.

May 2013 should be about the next sunspot maximum, should be a good time to go looking in the North.

http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/predict.shtml

Apart from being well north at the right time of the sunspot cycle, it's pretty much pot luck whether the sun does or doesn't lob stuff our way.

 

[bilmo-p5]

May 2013 should be about the next sunspot maximum, should be a good time to go looking in the North.

Except that twilight will be about as dark as you can expect it to get.

 

[ged]

Except that twilight will be about as dark as you can expect it to get.

You lost me. I just meant that 2013 should be a good year for going on a trip to see the northern lights because the solar maximum is somewhere in the middle of that year.

Obviously you'll want it to be dark when you actually go looking...

http://northernlightscruises.com/best-time-of-day-to-see-northern-lights.html

No connection etc., just a random search result.

 

[Wayland]

Just for reference you might be interested in some of the advice I received in this thread on another forum.

 

[hedgerowpete]

tromso in norway is a perfect place for the sight.

we did ferry and then car drive, with about 8 little baby ferries on the way, great adventure to do, or just fly there instead. the main thing is to follow the sun busts as there stronger they are the better the lights

 

[nunzionuk]

Just for reference you might be interested in some of the advice I received in this thread on another forum.

Thanks for the link, some handy info on there.

 

[Martti]

We was hoping Norway area, but need advise/help on knowing what we need, places, and times, to go.

I'm not trying to bash Norway in any way, but it is often cloudy in the Northern Norway due of its closeness to the ocean. It would be better to travel to e.g. Rovaniemi, which can be easily reached by aeroplane. There are several free camping sites at and around Rovaniemi.

P.S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc3FxNXjBs0

 

[nunzionuk]

Sweet Finland I am guessing. Will take a look.

 

[Tor helge]

I'm not trying to bash Norway in any way, but it is often cloudy in the Northern Norway due of its closeness to the ocean. It would be better to travel to e.g. Rovaniemi, which can be easily reached by aeroplane. There are several free camping sites at and around Rovaniemi.

P.S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc3FxNXjBs0

Aaaah. The Finns are stealing the Aurora!!
This is actually a popular topic in the norwegian media these days.

But I have to aggree with Martti on this. Finland would probably be your best choise, or somwhere inland in Northern Norway, like Karasjok or Kautokeino.
There are countless stories of people who travelled here to see the northen light and only saw a fairly lighted (with the help of the Tromsø city lights) gray sky.

Just be sure you are far north. I live 120km north of the arctic circle but the northern light we see here is a poor excuse for the Aurora I saw in my childhood just 200 km further north.