How & Where to See The Northern Lights in Iceland

All Things Iceland

The Northern Lights season in Iceland is almost upon us! I’ve packed this episode with loads of information to help you have the highest possible chance of seeing this spectacular natural phenomenon. While it is possible to take a tour to see them, I am a big fan of seeing them on my own. I’ll be sharing some awesome places that you can drive to in the country to view them.

I decided to also share some background information about the northern lights, including why they appear, the best time of the year to see them, factors that impact you seeing the lights, how to know if the aurora borealis will appear, the best time of day to see them, and my recommendation when it comes to clothing, as well as tips on how to capture the Northern Lights with your phone or camera.

Rent a Car in Iceland for your Northern Lights Hunting Adventure

Before I jump in, I want to thank Go Car Rental Iceland for sponsoring this episode. They are a great local car rental company based in Reykjavík. As I mentioned earlier, I like to go on adventures at my own pace and having a car allows me and others to do that.

Go Car Rental Iceland already has competitive rates but what‘s awesome is that renting a car during winter is way less money than in summer. On top of that, you can save 10% off your entire booking with them when you use my code Iceland10.

Why do the Northern Lights Appear?

When charged particles from the sun collide with atoms in the earth’s atmosphere, the electrons inside of atoms move to a higher energy state. When the electrons come down to a lower energy state, they release photons, which is light. That light is what we see as the Aurora borealis or Northern Lights.

The strength of the Northern lights, or how strong the light show up, will depend on the solar activity and the speed at which these particles are coming toward the earth. This is one major factor as to why you may or may not see the Northern Lights during your trip.

The color of the Northern Lights depends on the ionization of gases in the earth’s atmosphere when the charged particle (electrons) collides with them. The altitude at which the particles collide is a major factor as well.

Because different gases are present at different altitudes and in varying concentrations, you might see only one color or many if the Northern Lights appear. Green is the most common color. You might also see blue, purple-ish, yellow, pink and even red.

Red is normally associated with intense solar activity, which is rare, so you’ll be quite fortunate if you experience that.

Best Time of Year to See the Northern Lights in Iceland

Undoubtly, the best time of the year to see the Northern Lights in Iceland is during the winter. Northern Lights season officially kicks off in October and runs through March. During this time, we have long, dark nights and that provides ample opportunity to potentially see the lights. Please know that there is no guarantee you will see them, even during winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeWycMNVm3M

Why You Can’t See the Northern Lights in Summer

The reason you can’t see the Northern Lights in Iceland during summer (June, July and most of August) is because there is too much brightness. We experience 24-hour bright nights during the height of summer, and this makes it impossible to see Northern Lights in the sky.

It isn’t that solar activity is necessarily any less or more during this time. One thing to note is that I have seen the Northern Lights in late August and September. However, because the days are still relatively long at that time, I normally just suggest visiting from October to March.

Factors that Impact You Seeing the Northern Lights in Winter

The factors that can impact you seeing the Northern Lights during the winter in Iceland are the weather, clouds, light pollution, and solar activity. Ideally, there are none or few clouds in the sky during the evening, relatively good weather, no or little light pollution, and decent solar activity.

For those wondering what light pollution is, it is basically any light source that would make seeing the northern lights harder to view. For instance, city lights are a big source of light pollution, so getting away from the city to spots to view the lights is advised.

If there is a full moon, that can also make the lights appear fainter. With that said, I have seen the Northern Lights a decent number of times while strolling the streets of downtown Reykjavik.

How to Know if the Northern Lights Will Show Up

Knowing when the Northern Lights will show up or how strong the lights will be is crucial. Thankfully, getting access to that information is simple. The Icelandic Meteorological Office has a webpage dedicated to showing the forecast.

They have a number system from 0 to 9. Zero is no activity visible and 9 is insanely intense. I’ve yet to encounter a 9 but I hope that I do one day. They also have a map that shows the cloud coverage in different parts of the country. Here is the link to see what the northern lights forecast is for the night you are looking to hunt for them.

I also recommend joining the Northern Lights Alert FB Group because people are often posting when they see them and what part of the country they are in.

Best Time of Day to See Them

Even though the nights are long in Iceland, it seems the typical time to see them is late in the evening, such as between 10:00 – 3:00 AM. This is not exact and they can definitely show up earlier or later but that is what I’ve found to be the case over the years.

It’s a good idea to periodically check out the window if the forecast is moderate to very active. Even better is to drive out to a nice, dark spot and chill out until you see them.

Great Locations in Iceland to See the Northern Lights

To be fair, I think most places in the countryside are great when it comes to seeing the Northern Lights. However, if you want to photograph some or just be in a picturesque place away from light pollution, here are some places where you can enjoy the show.

In the Reykjavik Area:

• Grótta lighthouse on Seltjarnarnes Peninsula
• Heiðmörk
• Laugardalur park

Around the country:

• Þingvellir National Park
• Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
• Akureyri
• Ásbyrgi
• Vestrahorn
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
• Kirkjufell mountain on Snæfellsnes Peninsula
• Seljalandsfoss waterfall

How to Capture the Northern Lights

Here are some helpful tips if you plan to capture the Northern lights:

1. Using a tripod means that you can keep your camera or phone as still as possible
2. A remote allows you to start capturing the photo or timelapse without touching the device
3. Find a location that frames the Northern Lights in a fascinating way, such as a place with mountains or interesting scenery. The places I listed above are great examples.
4. A head lamp for seeing what you are doing in the dark and shining light on subjects you might be capturing along with the aurora borealis.

In the past, I have used the Night Cap app to capture a timelapse video and I will continue to do that. However, the newer versions of the iPhone and other phones make capturing the lights so easy.

Best Clothing to Wear While Hunting the Northern Lights

Clothing wise, it is best to have your winter clothing. Parkas and warm outer layers with water resistance will come in handy. Layers, such as a warm sweater like an Icelandic lopapeysa is great, and a base layer such a long johns will go a long way in helping to keep you from freezing.

Of course, hats, gloves, thick socks, maybe even hand warmers, are great. My Ultimate Packing Checklist for Iceland, which is linked in the show notes, has a winter packing checklist, so feel free to download that.

You might also want to have something warm to drink, some snacks, and a lot of patience. You might see them right away or it they can take a while to appear if they do at all. Sometimes they put on a show for a long time but don’t be surprised if they show up, disappear, and then show up again.

Key Things to Keep in Mind When Looking for the Northern Lights in Iceland

• Look at the aurora forecast before heading out
• Stay away from light pollution
• Have warm clothing and layers because it can get quite cold
• You can use this app for capturing time lapses of the northern lights on your phone, and here are instructions for capture photos of the lights with a camera

Before I jump into the random fact of the episode, I again want to thank Go Car Rental Iceland for sponsoring. Make sure to use my code Iceland10 when booking so you can save 10% on your booking.

Random Fact of the episode

The first time I saw the northern lights was so magical. They were faint but I was still awe-struck! I always get excited when I see them and will often peek out the window on a night when the forecast is decent to see if they are out. What’s fascinating is that there is folklore in Iceland and other parts of the world about the Northern Lights and I plan to share more about that in a future episode.

Icelandic Word of the Episode

Norðurljós – Northern Lights

I hope this episode has been helpful and happy Northern Lights hunting!

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