Our best tips for seeing the northern lights

Conditions for northern lights in Luleå

On the one hand, there must be enough solar energy for the aurora borealis to occur in the atmosphere, and on the other hand, the angle at which the energy hits the atmosphere needs to be right for our location. Clear or at least mostly clear weather is a prerequisite for being able to
see the northern lights. Rule of thumb: If you can see stars, it is possible to see the northern lights.

Choose an open place where it is dark enough. Avoid lighted places as much as possible, although it is possible to sometimes see the northern lights in the middle of town.
There is no ”timetable”. The northern lights occur at any time during the dark hours of the day and last for varying lengths of time. The northern lights can be seen from the end of August to the first days of April. At other times of the year, it is too bright to be able to distinguish the phenomenon.

It has to be sufficient solar energy to create aurorae in the atmosphere combined with the  energy impacting the atmosphere at an angle that is suitable for our location. Clear skies or scattered clouds are required for the northern lights to be visible. You can see them dancing over the city of Luleå, but they will be shy and not as prominent. Therefore we recommend you choose an open and suitably dark place and avoid well-lit places to any extent possible. 

There is no ‘timetable’. Northern lights may occur at any point during the hours of darkness and vary in duration. Northern lights are visible in Luleå from late August until the first days of April. During the rest of the year, the skies are too bright for the phenomenon to be visible.

For northern lights forecasts, visit this website. You can also download the app Aurora Forecast, available for both iPhone and Android.