Chasing the Northern Lights

Kiruna & Tromsø — Aurora Borealis

Winter landscape near Kiruna in Sweden — Winter scene from northern Sweden outside Kiruna

Kiruna — Sweden

Over the past two years we have been chasing the Northern Lights in northern Norway and Sweden. The first year we stayed in Kiruna, Sweden, and this year we tried Tromsø, Norway. The chances of seeing the aurora are roughly equal in both towns, but the climate in Kiruna seems a little more stable and dry since most precipitation falls in the coastal areas and west-facing mountains. The chances of seeing the lights may therefore be slightly better when you get away from the coast due to a reduced cloud cover.

The Northern Lights in brief: particles from the sun stream towards Earth and cause the upper atmosphere to glow in green — and rarely red — colours. This happens near the north and south poles, hence the name. Various websites offer aurora “forecasts” 2–3 days ahead, though they are of course only indicative. In the north, aurora activity is highest between 18:00 and around midnight. To photograph the aurora you need a wide aperture (ideally f/2.8), an exposure of 10–30 seconds, and a sensitivity of at least ISO 3000 — plus a good, stable tripod.

Northern Lights — Aurora Borealis — Aurora Borealis

Abisko National Park — Aurora Sky Station — Photo taken on top of a 1,200-metre mountain at −25 °C in Abisko National Park — no aurora this particular night.

In Kiruna a whole industry has grown up around aurora tourists, offering everything from moose safaris to dog-sledding and snowmobile trips. Prices in Sweden are generally lower than in Denmark — a 6-hour snowmobile trip including dinner typically costs around 1,000 SEK.

During the day you can take excursions. A must-see is the large iron ore mine on the outskirts of Kiruna. Booking ahead is required; you travel by bus and the first stop is 500 metres below the surface — an impressive sight. Another great destination is Abisko National Park, about an hour’s drive north of Kiruna, which offers optimal conditions for aurora watching at night.

Dog sled on the lake near the Ice Hotel — The dogs waiting to be exercised on the lake just east of Kiruna.

Karin in the iron ore mine at Kiruna — 500 m underground — Karin next to one of the large machines in the iron ore mine 500 metres below ground.

Tromsø — Norway

Tromsø lies right on the Norwegian west coast, roughly at the same latitude as Kiruna. Prices in Tromsø are a story of their own. All parking in the entire Tromsø area is privatised — you pay 22 NOK per hour and can only buy one hour at a time. A 24-hour ticket at the harbour is an option but requires a 1–2 km walk. These running costs are important to factor into your travel budget.

If you want to get away from the city lights without renting a car you can join an organised tour. A typical outing starts in the late afternoon in an 8-person minibus. A 4–5 hour tour costs around 1,200 NOK including a hot drink. We rented a car for 4 days for about 1,000 NOK plus roughly 400 DKK in fuel. The “Polaria” experience centre by the harbour is also worth a visit, particularly on a bad-weather day.

Ferry landing east of Tromsø — The area around Tromsø offers great daytime scenery — here a small ferry landing about an hour east of the city.

Seal at Polaria in Tromsø — A seal from “Polaria” at the harbour in Tromsø.

Kick-sleds in Kiruna — A final image from Kiruna — a gathering of kick-sleds holding a meeting.

If you are chasing the Northern Lights I recommend travelling to Kiruna, Sweden, renting a car and using Kiruna as a base for excursions. Happy hunting!