Iceland, Finland, Russia: The best time to see the Northern Lights is NOW

The sun has entered the solar maximum. What it means up in space is that the sun is ‘flipping’ – yes, literally – and that it has reached the halfway mark of a solar cycle.

At the solar maximum, which happens every decade, the sun flips its magnetic poles and moves from a calm to an active state. This, in turn, leads to chaos in communication: there’s drag in the satellites in low-earth orbit; radio signals are impacted, and GPS might not work the way it’s supposed to.

The sun moves from a calm state to an active and stormy state in a solar maximum. Screengrab: NASA

Representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel, in a teleconference last week, announced that the sun has reached its solar maximum period. They also said that this could continue for the next year.

So, does it mean it’s all bad news on earth?

Quite the contrary, actually. The sun’s mood swing hitting its peak this solar cycle means a spectacular chance for aurora hunters to see the Northern Lights. The solar maximum will last a year from now. So, expect the entire prism to light up the night sky up north. Green, the most common, is going to be there; as will the rarer colours of yellow, red, pink; and the rarest, blue and purple.

Your eyes are not your best friend when it comes to seeing all these colours in all their intensity; so, you will have to fall back on a decent camera.

The what and why

Now, the Northern Lights are caused by solar winds, which blow electrically charged particles or electrons into the atoms and molecules present in the earth’s upper atmosphere. This, in turn, causes an emission of bright light.

A solar flare photographed on October 3. Photo: NASA

Depending on the atoms that the solar wind particles react with, the speed at which they collide, and the altitude where this interaction happens, you see the sky light up in various colours. The sky turning deep blue and purple, for example, happens due to ionised nitrogen at lower altitudes.

The when and where

Since the sun controls how and when the Northern Lights show up here on Earth, 2024-2026 is going to be the best time in a decade to see them. The best months to see the lights are from September to April.

So, the six months from now to April 2025, and September 2025 to April 2026, are likely the best times to go hunting the Northern Lights. The sun isn’t going to get as active for 11 years after this, and that means the next period of heightened solar activity will only be in 2035-2036.

Remember May 2024, when the earth saw its strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades? That was also a result of the solar maximum, when a barrage of large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched clouds of charged particles and magnetic fields toward earth. This storm resulted in possibly the strongest displays of auroras on record in the past 500 years.

The auroras over Iceland. Photo: Getty Images

Scientists say that now that we’re in the year of the solar maximum, we should expect stronger sightings of the lights. But where? The Northern Lights are visible from places beneath the auroral oval, or in between latitudes of 66 degrees north and 75 degrees north.

Arctic regions like Scandinavia (Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden), parts of Russia, Canada, the US state of Alaska, and Greenland are the best places to see the lights.

The KP Index

Before we get to seeing the lights, a little about the KP Index. If you’re going to visit one of these Arctic countries to see the Northern Lights, it is undoubtedly going to be a costly affair. So, preparation is inevitable. The Aurora Forecast is a good way to see what the activity on your chosen dates could be like.

The KP Index, or the Planetary K-Index, is a handy guide for aurora observers. It is used to characterise geomagnetic storms; you know, the kind that causes auroras to show up. The index is a superb indicator of disturbances in the earth’s magnetic field, and is used to send out geomagnetic alerts and warnings to users who are likely to be affected: electrical power grid, spacecraft operations, users of radio signals that reflect off of or pass through the ionosphere, and aurora hunters.

For about four days every 11 years, the KP Index says ‘9’, which is the maximum geomagnetic activity (G5) you can expect. On G5 nights, expect a veritable light and colour show in the sky. This is also when auroras are visible from fairly low latitudes, like 40 degrees North (India is situated north of the equator, between 8.4 and 37.6 degrees).
Under G5 is G4, which corresponds to a KP Index of 8-9. The frequency of G4 is 60-100 days in a solar cycle; and so on.
Auroras that occur under KP Index 2 are faint and visible only further north.
Above KP 5 is where the magic happens.
Where to see the Northern Lights

Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway: The most popular aurora trips with Indians are Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway; with Iceland and Finland topping the charts. All these Scandinavian countries account for great aurora viewing.

Rohit Khattar, founder and trip leader at Ikigai Travels, who just got back from 40 days of an aurora hunting trip in Iceland, tells India Today, “We saw the Northern Lights with our naked eyes and it was phenomenal. It is expected to get better in the coming months because the sun has hit its solar maximum.”

“The thing to keep in mind is that no aurora forecast or the KP Index can predict for sure when the Northern Lights appear. It is nature, after all. However, in these solar maximum months, luck is usually on our side. You need to watch out for clear skies and a high KP Index, and wait for the lights to surprise you,” says Khattar.

For Indians, Finland and Iceland are the most popular aurora getaways. Photo: Getty Images

Russia: You could also travel to the Russian Arctic to see the Northern Lights. The plus side is that it is not as popular, and therefore, the trip would cost a fraction of what you would end up spending in Scandinavia. Murmansk is the largest city within the Arctic Circle. Most aurora hunting trips in Russia take off from here.

Alaska, Canada, Greenland: For Indians, the US or Canada or Greenland could be quite a trek, given the long flights, logistics, and travel time. Then there is the inconvenience of a US or Canada visa (if you already have one; consider seeing the auroras in Alaska or Canada).

When to see the Northern Lights

From the autumn equinox (September 22-23) to the spring equinox (March 20-21) in the Northern Hemisphere, as the sun crosses the celestial equator and moves north, the countries up north have longer, darker nights. These nights make for better viewing of the Northern Lights as light disturbances are minimal.

September to April is generally a good time to see the lights. Photo: Getty Images

The months of September-October and February-March score comparatively higher on the KP Index, given that solar activity is heightened around the equinoxes. In comparison, the longer, colder, darker months of December and January are excellent for seeing and photographing the lights.

If you’re planning a trip to see the Northern Lights, do remember that the autumn and spring months are easier temperature wise; you would not want to be stuck in a hotel all snowed in.

Flights and visas

Europe: While planning a trip to see the auroras, you need to keep flight costs in mind. Flights to Reykjavik (Iceland), Helsinki (Finland), Stockholm (Sweden), and Oslo (Norway) are all better if booked a few months in advance. Keep a flight tracker on to be notified of the cheapest rates.

After you have booked the flights and hotels, find yourself a visa appointment. This is usually the toughest part of the entire process, so ensure you have enough time in hand. You could visit all of these countries with a Schengen visa. Also, it is better to book refundable flights when choosing to visit the Schengen countries to account for a visa rejection, if you’re unlucky.

The year from now is the best time to see the Northern Lights in a decade. Photo: Getty Images

Russia, on the other hand, is easier for Indians. You can snag flight tickets from Delhi to Moscow and back for Rs 50,000 per person. Add to that an internal round trip from Moscow to Murmansk. Applying for and getting a visa is also fairly easy.

“For Indians, the best thing about seeing the Northern Lights in Russia is the ease of visas. Russia allows e-visas for Indian passport holders. Russians are also very friendly with Indians because of the relations between the two countries. It is comparatively cheaper than in the Scandinavian countries, and you can cut down on your expenses by about 50 per cent. There are also various Indian restaurants in Russia,” says Rohit Khattar.

However, given the geopolitical sanctions that Russia is dealing with at the moment, your credit cards won’t work. So, ensure you have enough cash on you to navigate Russia.

US and Canada: If you are planning to see the Northern Lights in the US, keep a year in hand for visa applications. For Canada, the tourist visa process can take anywhere between 2 and 4 months. Book your flights and the trip only once you have a visa in hand.

Seeing the Northern Lights is a bucket-list experience. And there’s no better time than this one year if you don’t want to wait another decade.