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NORTHERN LIGHTS
Aurora Forecast for Rovaniemi, and What Should You Know about the Aurora Borealis?
Best Places to See the Northern Lights – Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland
Aurora forecast is still in the early stages; we can predict accurately only a few hours ahead. From the statics, we know that Northern Lights can be seen approximately every other evening in the Arctic Circle.
Few things are required to be able to see the natural phenomena of Aurora Borealis. Northern Lights can be seen in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, and the further you go, the better your chances of seeing the Auroras. Secondly, your location must be dark enough, away from any artificial lights.
Apukka Resort is located just above the Arctic Circle, away from the city lights of Rovaniemi and the twinkling Christmas lights of Santa Claus Village. The sky is bigger and clearer here than anywhere else in or around Rovaniemi, allowing for the absolute best viewing conditions of the Northern Lights and a true immersion into the mystical wonder of the surrounding Lappish landscape.
When is the Best Time to See the Auroras in Rovaniemi?
Northern Lights can be seen from late August until mid-April, as long as there’s a clear sky and enough Auroral activity. Statistically, massive Northern Lights storms are more common near autumn and spring equinoxes, late September and late March. Aurora Borealis actually occur all year round, but the nights are too light during the summer as the sun doesn’t set at all here above the Arctic Circle.
We have all kinds of Aurora Tours throughout the Northern Lights season from the 1st of September until the 7th of April. Whether you’d like to hunt for the Northern Lights by car, gaze at the Auroras on a horse sleigh, or have a nightly adventure with the huskies, we have it all.
Take a Look at our Aurora Tours
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Northern Lights in a Nutshell
What Causes the Northern Lights?
When magnetic fields on the sun get twisted together, they create sunspots, and particles escaping from these sunspot regions create something called the solar wind that streams away from the sun at speeds of about 1,6 million kilometers per hour. After traveling 150 million kilometers to the Earth, the magnetic North and South Poles lure the solar wind. Around the Poles, the magnetic fields are weaker, allowing the electrons to enter the Earth’s upper atmosphere. They’ll encounter oxygen and nitrogen atoms at altitudes from 50 to 300 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
What Makes the Northern Lights Appear in Different Colors?
A shade of greenish-yellow, the most common color visible during one of these light shows, is caused by solar particles colliding with oxygen in lower altitudes, up to 240 kilometers above us. A collision with oxygen at a very high altitude, over 280 kilometers above the Earth, produces much rarer shades of red. A pinkish-red at the lower edges of the light sheets is common, created by collisions with nitrogen particles.
Are the Aurora Borealis Equally Active Each Year?
The sunspots and solar storms that cause the most magnificent displays of the Northern Lights occur roughly every 11 years. The solar cycle peaked in 2013 but was the weakest solar maximum in a century. Since record-keeping of the ebb and flow of the sun’s activity began in 1749, there have been 22 complete cycles.
In Which Corners of the World is it Possible to Witness the Northern Lights?
The best places to see the Northern Lights are in remote locations, far from cities and their light pollution. The closer to the Poles you are, the better your chances of catching this curtain or the ever-changing colors of the sky you have. Finland is one of the top locations to cross the Northern Lights from your bucket list. Rovaniemi, in the Northern part of Finland, is a prime location to witness the Northern Lights in the night skies. Apukka Resort maximizes your chances as we are located on the very edge of the wilderness, where there’s no light pollution to block the view to the skies.
What Kind of Equipment Do I Need to Be Able to Take Photos of the Northern Lights?
You can get photos of the Auroras with most cameras, though naturally, the quality of the images increases remarkably with a good-quality camera. Having a tripod to hold your camera or phone still dramatically improves the quality of the images. If you do not own a tripod, we have them for rent by the front desk. Our staff will be happy to help you with the camera settings best suited for capturing the magical Auroras. You can always book a spot from our Aurora Hunt by Car excursion, where our guide will carry a good quality camera with them and give you access to all the Northern Light photos taken during the night if the Auroras would do their dance on the night skies.
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Are There Ways to Maximize My Possibilities of Seeing the Northern Lights?
Finding the Northern Lights always comes down to patience, as you can never fully predict when they’ll appear. Wrap yourself inside warm layers of clothing, find a dark spot on the frozen lake, and wait. If you’re not too tempted by waiting in the cold, you can always book our aurora accommodation and gaze at the night skies from the comfort of your bed.
To give you the very best possibilities for being able to cross the Northern Lights off your bucket list, we’ve created a variety of activities to maximize your chances of seeing the Auroras. On a cloudy night, Aurora Hunt by Car excursion gives you a chance to cover longer distances to find clear skies. When the cloud cover is not too thick, our snow trains, huskies, and snowmobiles will take you to unique places amid the dark, almost magical forests to witness this unique and mythical phenomenon. It’s also good to remember that in Lapland, the weather can change in a heartbeat, turning a cloudy sky into a stunning scenery filled with thousands and thousands of stars.