MAIN Travel Tourist Attractions Iceland Northern Lights

Imagine the night sky filled with sheets of dancing light in startling greens, reds, yellows and blues.

The colors swirls together or one dominates and fills the air with an unearthly glow. It may be difficult to visualize stars twinkling through a haze of green, but that is what you'll see if you are lucky enough to catch the show when the Aurora Borealis puts on a display.

Iceland is one of the best places on earth to catch the Northern Lights. In late autumn and late winter to very early spring (mid-March at the latest) the conditions are the best for spectacular displays. As the weather warms and the nights begin to disappear under the light of the Midnight Sun the show is off.

What ancient wanderers thought were the gods battling in the heavens or omens of coming doom is actually an interaction between the earth's electromagnetic field and Solar Winds emitted from the sun. Storms on the surface of the sun provide the most spectacular displays. The wildest weather can produce lights as far south as Italy in Europe and Virginia in the USA.

It doesn't matter how much you understand the science behind this phenomenon, it will still take your breath away...

Northern lights in Iceland - Thor Marteinsson has put together a multi page gallery of his photos of the Aurora Borealis. Words cannot do justice to these pictures, you have to see them for yourself. He says, "...if you think they are strange and unreal, wait until you see the Northern lights with your own eyes."

Northern lights by Sigurdur H Stefnisson - Each picture of the Aurora Borealis captured by this photographer is a marvel. Be transported through the amazing images by clicking on one and then hitting next - be careful - if you hit stop by mistake it will close the page.

The Northern Lights by Porter Johnson - Section by section this site will answer your questions on how, when and why the Aurora Borealis dances through the night skies. Good links add depth and additional info if you want more.

The Aurora Page - From the folks at Michigan Tech - a few photos of the Aurora Borealis and a great set of links to sites that can help you forecast where the Northern Lights will be dancing. The forecasting sites may a bit technical for your taste, but they are fun to check out.

How to photograph the aurora borealis with a digital camera - This is not a job for a point and click camera, but if you have a good digital you can get some stunning images. This site goes into details on how to keep the battery working in cold weather and recommends hand warmers - a must for working with your camera in seriously cold weather.