Northern Lights

[longdogs]

I've decided that the northern lights (Aurora Borealis) is definately something I want to see before I pop off. Iv'e always been facinated by the subject since hearing the song 'Northern Lights' by Renaissance back in 1978, although I must admit that the first time I heard it, I thought they were singing about Blackpool sea front

I was wondering if any forum members have been lucky enough to see it and where they saw it from.

 

[TheOriginalTonkaToy]

I've seen them many times from my front garden

 

[Susiejb]

I would love to see them too....I still remember Joanna Lumley seeing them on her tv programme and being absolutely overwhelmed by them, they do look spectacular.
I think it is possible though that you could take a special trip and then actually not see them which would be very disappointing.
My Dad saw them in Scotland when he was in the forces....but I am not sure if they are as good as they are if you travel further north.

 

[fmck]

First time in beer garden in Ayrshire. 2nd time out in the country side of Ayrshire dropping someone off at night.
For a week about ten years ago the biggest solar flares in 50 years gave a display each night when I drove to my digs in Aberdeen. I was out on the hills during the night (mount keen) cairngorms when it did its biggest display and there were pictures in all the papers next day. Amazing.
I awoke camping a few summers back on the North coast got out for a wee ended up sitting out watching it.

The further north the better it is. Further south it might well be happening but you dont realise it.It can be very subtle as a dull glow slowly moving.

 

[pred]

YES! i saw them about 12yrs ago, i was returning to Bristol from Tamworth on the m42 and was channel hoping on the radio when i caught the end of a conversation that went; yes i'm stood in my back garden looking at it now its filling the sky, (i thought whats this guy on i'll have some) and where are you phoning from? Acocks Green!!!

WHAT i'm just down the road from there so i opens the window and whaow!! i got off the m42 at j1 near Redditch, found a dark layby and pulled in, what a sight! like big drape curtains hanging from the sky, i then carried on to the a46 down past Evesham stoping at every layby, they were slowly changing coulour, it was amazing, when i got down to the m5 at Evesham they had gone

I'm toying with the idea of a trip to Iceland or similar to see them again.

Another phenominum i saw while living in Singapore, it gets light and dark at 6am and 6pm day in day out because it's more or less on the equator, one night about 8pm it got light again, it was like an electric glow, also changing colour yellow, orange and blue but you could see bright as day, then it started to rain and rain, the monsoon season is twice a year, the rains go north hit the himalayas then return a few months later, my dad said it was the suns rays being deflected through the cloud, it came a close second to the northern lights.

 

[Crickleymal]

I'd love to see them too. I've just read BillBryson's book Neither Here nor There and he goes to somewhere in the north of Norway to see them. It is apparently ver hit and miss, he was there for at least a week maybe two and then suddenly on the last night bingo.

 

[crystal ball]

We went on a special charter flight to see them, all the lights inside the plane were off and the pilot flew a figure 8 path somewhere off Aberdeen, it was a bit of a scrum swapping round to get a window seat but had a great sighting, also had an astronomer talking through the whole thing from the cockpit

 

[ellal]

I'm toying with the idea of a trip to Iceland or similar to see them again.

Get to see them most years over there...

Usually only green in the south, but in the north you can get more colours..

 

[joe-90]

I'm toying with the idea of a trip to Iceland or similar to see them again.

Get me some chips and sausages, please. I'll give you the dosh for them.

 

[clubb699]

Canada 18 years ago and can still remember it very well

 

[sooey]

There's an 11 year cycle of maximum and minimum sunspot activity, I think we're at the maximum part of the cycle now.
The best place to see them would be somewhere very north in winter, when there is no cloud and no moon. so Svalbard sounds good, but you'd have to watch out for polar bears.

 

[Djnikon]

I have seen them many times from various parts of Scotland. The best view I ever had of them was in December 2003 at a place called Cape Wrath. It was spectacular, as Pred says it was like a billowing green, blue and yellow drape flowing across the sky.
One of Natures natural, wonderful beauties.