Northern Lights in September
Apr 2nd, 2016, 01:31 PM
#1
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Northern Lights in September
Hi Fodorites,
Going to Oslo/Bergen at the end of September. What are the chance of seeing the Northern Lights in Tromso at that time? Can anyone suggest a good company that does this?
Thanks!!!
Going to Oslo/Bergen at the end of September. What are the chance of seeing the Northern Lights in Tromso at that time? Can anyone suggest a good company that does this?
Thanks!!!
Apr 2nd, 2016, 11:31 PM
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September is as good a time as any to see them. If it is dark at night there is a chance of seeing them. No guarantees of course. The lights tend to be more active around the equinoxes for some reason so you should see something.
There was a solar storm yesterday resulting in the lights being seen a long way south - well into northern Britain and Denmark and into upper new York State for instance.
I can't recommend any one company for a trip they are all dependent on the sun putting on a show.
There was a solar storm yesterday resulting in the lights being seen a long way south - well into northern Britain and Denmark and into upper new York State for instance.
I can't recommend any one company for a trip they are all dependent on the sun putting on a show.
Apr 2nd, 2016, 11:48 PM
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Tourist office has a list of tour providers - https://www.visittromso.no/en
TripAdvisor has reviews.
TripAdvisor has reviews.
Apr 3rd, 2016, 01:46 PM
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Hi! General "rules" about Northern lights, but it all depends 
Weather: It should be a frosty night with clear skies, without any snowfall or winds that may bring clouds.
Dates: General dates are from October 21 to February 21, but they are flexible depending on the region.
Time: From 9-9:30 pm to 11:30 pm.
Place: The skies above virtually all territory of the Northern Norway may be a perfect scene for Aurora Borealis.
Concerning the company, it all depends on the weather, so you may hunt for the lights by yourself with the same chances to success.
Weather: It should be a frosty night with clear skies, without any snowfall or winds that may bring clouds.
Dates: General dates are from October 21 to February 21, but they are flexible depending on the region.
Time: From 9-9:30 pm to 11:30 pm.
Place: The skies above virtually all territory of the Northern Norway may be a perfect scene for Aurora Borealis.
Concerning the company, it all depends on the weather, so you may hunt for the lights by yourself with the same chances to success.
Apr 3rd, 2016, 07:16 PM
#6
For general information about northern lights in Europe one of the best sites is http://www.aurora-service.eu/ ... and they have short-range forecasts at http://www.aurora-service.eu/
For North America the best sit's tourist info is at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/travelers-guide and their short-term forecasts are at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast and their general information at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/public-information
For North America the best sit's tourist info is at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/travelers-guide and their short-term forecasts are at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast and their general information at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/public-information
Apr 4th, 2016, 12:02 AM
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the gi.alaska site is the one I use. You can get forecasts for Europe from it too. Also the Spaceweather app is excellent.
To say the aurora can only be seen from October to February is nonsense. We saw them in mid March, they put on a magnificent display over the last couple of days, and friends saw them in early September. The only thing is you have to stay up later than in winter, in order to get dark enough skies.
To say the aurora can only be seen from October to February is nonsense. We saw them in mid March, they put on a magnificent display over the last couple of days, and friends saw them in early September. The only thing is you have to stay up later than in winter, in order to get dark enough skies.
Apr 6th, 2016, 08:30 AM
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The "general rules" given above are all wrong. You have chances to see Northern Lights when you are in the right area (Northern Norway and particularly Tromsø is very often under the aurora oval) and when the night is dark and clear. You can see them as early as end of August some years (http://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv...load_id=116869 for instance) and it is still possible early April. Between April and August the nights are not dark enough to be able to see them. Also, they are not on a clock. I've seen some at 4 pm in December in Norway, or at 2 in the morning. If you wait until 9pm to go out and come back at 11pm, you may miss a lot.
So chances in September are good, particularly at the end as the nights are getting longer, as long as you have a clear sky (no clouds). At this season you can as well rent a car and drive for yourself, find a spot outside the city away from light pollution, find a good weather forecast and look up when it is dark (and you may need to be patient). To increase your chances it is advised to stay several nights.
There are two main kind of tours : "Aurora chase" (the tour guide will drive around sometimes very far to find a spot with no clouds), and "Aurora camp" (the tour guide will take you to a specific spot where you wait and hope). If the weather is clear both are good, if the weather is not then you have more chances with the first kind, but they are usually more expensive. You can look at visittromso.com for a list of tour companies and search reviews online. If you stay several days, then maybe you can do a tour one night and be on your own the other nights. You can even see them from the town if they are strong enough (from the harbor, or over the bridge, or from the top of the cable car).
So chances in September are good, particularly at the end as the nights are getting longer, as long as you have a clear sky (no clouds). At this season you can as well rent a car and drive for yourself, find a spot outside the city away from light pollution, find a good weather forecast and look up when it is dark (and you may need to be patient). To increase your chances it is advised to stay several nights.
There are two main kind of tours : "Aurora chase" (the tour guide will drive around sometimes very far to find a spot with no clouds), and "Aurora camp" (the tour guide will take you to a specific spot where you wait and hope). If the weather is clear both are good, if the weather is not then you have more chances with the first kind, but they are usually more expensive. You can look at visittromso.com for a list of tour companies and search reviews online. If you stay several days, then maybe you can do a tour one night and be on your own the other nights. You can even see them from the town if they are strong enough (from the harbor, or over the bridge, or from the top of the cable car).
