Northern Lights: our 2nd magical experience & our best tips

After an unforgettable first time seeing them, we had a second opportunity to experience the Northern Lights, this time in an even more spectacular way. Read our story and check out our Mini-guide for everything you need to know to maximize your chances to see this extraordinary natural phenomenon.

Let’s just admit it – our second time experiencing the northern lights in the autumn of 2024, was even more intense and incredible than the first.

We were once again onboard the Norwegian Coastal Express (Hurtigruten), which calls at 34 ports along the Norwegian coast, from Bergen in the southwest, to Kirkenes in the northeast. That evening, we were sailing from Trondheim towards Rørvik, at a latitude of 64°N.

Standing beneath a clear and scintillatingly starry sky, with the North star to guide us – we knew this night would be special. And when we spotted a shooting star darting across the sky, our intuition was confirmed. The KP index was verging on 4, the Bz was in the negatives and the solar wind speed reached 400 km/s. Thanks to the low levels of light pollution, the conditions seemed ideal. According to our apps, we had an almost 50 % chance of seeing the legendary aurora borealis.

At first, the northern lights appeared like a faint gleam and long, pale, almost milky streaks across the sky, although they were quite easy distinguishable from the scattered clouds.

Then, vertical shafts of green light pierced the hazy clouds along the horizon. This is when the spectacle began to reach its full potential. 

The aurora danced above us, like a diaphanous veil rippling and floating in the wind.

The lights formed slow waves and undulating, vibrant scrolls, taking on brilliant hues ranging from jade to emerald, with flashes of ruby.

Each aurora appeared with a different intensity, at times lasting mere seconds, sometimes several minutes.

As the magic was steadily increasing, the KP index almost reached 5, the Bz was at -8 and the solar wind speed passed 480 km/s.

The sky directly above us was literally ablaze, offering an explosion of colors far more intense than during our first experience.

The sight was so enthralling that we simply couldn’t look away.

We were mesmerized by the natural phenomenon taking place right above our heads.

After over an hour and a half of this incredible display, the northern lights disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, further proving their elusive and enigmatic nature. 

The magic of the aurora was seared into our minds that night. We could hardly sleep afterwards, knowing we had fully seized and enjoyed the moment together. Spellbound by this mysterious and captivating celestial experience, we wanted the images to remain etched into our memories.

Our mini-guide: northern lights for dummies (like us)

Several requirements must be met for you to able to see the aurora:

• It is vital that it be completely dark, as nautical or astronomical twilight generally aren’t quite dark enough.

• Try to get as close to the Arctic Circle (66°33’N) as possible, or beyond. In order to see the northern lights further south than Norway, you will often need a KP index above 7.

• Clear skies or very scattered clouds

• Limited light pollution (unless the aurora is very intense)

• Sufficient solar activity (stay up to date by using the apps)

• Keep your eyes to the north: the aurora tends to appear in the northern section of the sky in the northern hemisphere.

The 3 apps we use (free versions): My Aurora Forecast and AuroraAlerts for the northern lights, Yr for the weather

How we use the apps:

• My Aurora Forecast (on App Store and Google Play) allows you to pinpoint the areas in which you are most likely to spot the northern lights, as well as the cloud cover and how it progresses. Aurora Forecast is the best app when it comes to notifications (it allows you to create custom notifications).

• AuroraAlerts (on App Store and Google Play) shows you the probability of seeing aurora in real time and in the next hour. 

You will also find different useful indicators: the Speed (of the solar wind) should be above km/s, the Bz index (direction of the interplanetary magnetic field) needs to be negative, and the Density (of particles in the solar wind) should be over 1 p/cc. 

The app also shows the KP in real time and in an hour. Above the Arctic Circle, you generally need a KP above 2 to see the aurora. The KP index is the most important factor: on a scale from 0 to 9, it indicates the level of distortion in the Earth’s magnetic field. Simply put, the higher the KP, the more intense the aurora will be.  The app also shows a KP forecast for the next 3 days.

• Yr (on App Store and Google Play): this weather app, created by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK, is available both in English and Norwegian. The app is mostly very reliable, with an hourly forecast for the next 3 days, and prognoses for the next 10 days (up to 21 days in Norway). The tab marked “Other conditions” lets you view live webcams, as well as an aurora forecast paired with projected cloud cover.

The information from the apps will never be 100% accurate. Even though all the indicators might point to a high probability of seeing the northern lights, this does not mean you definitely will. However, the opposite is also true.

There is such a thing as “surprise” northern lights that show up in spite of the forecast and scientific indicators used by the apps. This only adds to the beauty of this natural phenomenon. 

Don’t miss the full article about our trip onboard the Norwegian Coastal Express