When is the best time to see the northern lights?

This is probably the question I get asked most often: when is the best time to see the Northern Lights? hehe, it’s not that simple. Well, in itself it’s super simple, but there are lots of parameters to take into account. Otherwise there is no fun.

Quick answer: there’s no “best time” to see the Northern Lights.

But there are times when it’s easier, you just have to watch out for the night, the weather, the location… in short, if you want to know more, follow the guide! And obviously, avoid the midnight sun !

When can you see the Northern Lights?

There are Northern Lights all year round!

Well, that’s that. In northern regions, you can see them as soon as it gets dark, i.e. from late August to mid-April. Otherwise, there’s too much light and it’s impossible to see them.

In general, in the far north, they can be seen from mid-August to late April.

So we’ve broken a myth: the Northern Lights are not only visible in winter, contrary to what many people think, but no! It’s the most popular tourist season, but not the only one.

So, it’s the night that does it all! It has to be. For example, in summer, in the northern hemisphere, while it’s impossible to see them in northern Europe, you can see them in Canada. And when there is a huge solar storm in may, you can see them in mid-Europe (like France, Italy…) whereas it’s not possible to see the northern lights in Norway.

To sum up :

• there are aurora borealis all the time
• you need night to see the aurora borealis
• so in Northern Europe, they’re visible from late August to mid-April, barring solar storms

What’s the best month to see the Northern Lights?

As I said in the introduction, there‘s no better time to see the Northern Lights. But why is that?

Because the aurora depend ONLY on the sun’s goodwill! On its activity. And there’s no rule about that: it’s a star, not a power station that lights up on demand. So when the sun doesn’t want to, the aurora is weak.

As we’ve just seen: there are auroras all the time! And all you need is a dark enough night to enjoy them.

However, although the activity depends on the sun, you need the right conditions to see them. The first condition is the weather. So when we say that some months are better than others, I’d say it’s all down to the weather. December is generally a cloudier month, so it’s not as easy, and you’ll have to be more patient or travel further to escape the clouds.

So, the “best month”, I’d say, depends on..:

• general weather conditions
• and what you want to do in addition to watching the aurora
  • do you want to go hiking
  • do you want snow for dog sledding and the magic of winter?

If you give yourself the means (guidebook, car, being mobile and knowing the weather), you’ll see the aurora whatever the time of year (as long as it’s dark, of course)

From the Arctic Circle, in Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland), it looks something like this:

• August: auroras are visible from the end of the month, nights are very short and not totally dark, feasible but not ideal.
• September: longer nights, generally good weather, no snow, a good time for auroras and scenery. I love that month!
• October: not really snowing yet, rainy weather, windy, still good for auroras and weather. I also love it!
• November: the days are very short, the weather is a bit more difficult, and you often have to move around a lot to see the aurora. There’s usually snow.
• December: the shortest days, even non-existent with the beautiful polar night. Snow and the activities that go with it. Good for auroras if you’re mobile but weather is not the best
• January: the gradual return of daylight, lots of snow and activities, a good month for seeing the aurora, but days are short
• February: the most popular month, but the weather’s a bit ouhlala. Snow, cold, auroras, rain.
• March: perhaps my favorite month! very snowy but stable weather, beautiful auroras
• April: the days are long and night is disappearing. You can see the aurora until roughly mid-April, and there’s still snow.

Below I’ve put together two very interesting infographics (I hope) that let you know the right periods and also other activities so you know when you could leave depending on what you want to do.

4 northern lights tours in Tromso

My favourite times to see the Northern Lights

I keep hammering at you that no, there is no best time to see the aurora but yet I have my favorite periods. It doesn’t make sense. But it does!

I love these two periods:

• mid-September to late October: nature’s colors are superb, a good mix to enjoy both day and night. In terms of auroras, it corresponds to the equinox, and there seems to be more activity, so in general it’s an excellent time for the northern lights!
  It’s not cold, we can hike and enjoy the scenery, and we have access to other places for the aurora, notably the lakes, where you can take reflective photos (not so easy when it’s frozen!).
• mid-February to end of March: I especially love March, when the weather seems better and there’s lots of snow. At the moment, March has less of a thaw than February, which makes it ideal for dawns and activities. Especially since there’s also the equinox!
  I also think the sky is more colorful, with sunrise and sunset, but maybe that’s because there are fewer clouds.

I’m (finally) talking about the equinox.

It’s said that during the equinox, there are bigger auroras and more solar activity. The equinox effect. There’s nothing really scientific to prove it. On the other hand, as far as we can see (i.e. feel), there really is something, some beautiful auroras, around the equinoxes.

So I’d say it’s true. There are some studies that prove it, but their reliability remains to be proven. I’d just say that if you can get away at those times, go for it! I’ve never been disappointed 🙂

Below are two photos taken during my favorite periods. One during the solar minimum (full of green), the other one close to solar maximum (full of colors)

See the aurora borealis during maximum and minimum solar activity

Unless you live in a cave, you currently hear a lot about the Northern Lights, that 2024/2025/2026 are the best years to see them. You see totally bonkers headlines “strongest auroras in 10 years will happen!”

This is totally false. Yes, we’re in the middle of solar maximum (2025). No, that doesn’t mean we’ll have the biggest aurora in a century, or any other clickbait headline.

Solar maximum and northern lights

The sun operates on an 11-year cycle. For 5.5 years, the sun will rise in power, reaching its “maximum” in 2025. Then, for a further 5.5 years, its activity will slowly decline.

When the sun increases in intensity, it means STRONGER auroras, not “MORE auroras”. The auroras will have different colors, notably more red. At solar minimum, in 2020, there were plenty of auroras, but they were green and pink.

Solar maximum will bring :

• stronger auroras
• more solar storms, so auroras will be visible further south, which is why we’ve seen them in France on several occasions
• more color, like red

But at high latitudes, we have auroras all the time!

During solar minimum, or when communication campaigns aren’t as active, we also see beautiful auroras, but beyond the Arctic Circle.

Why? Because Tromso, in particular, is located right under the northern oval! In other words, when the aurora enters the atmosphere, it does so at Tromso’s latitude (roughly speaking). That’s why we see the northern lights all the time.

We’ve noticed differences in auroras between solar minimum and solar maximum

2.5 years before solar maximum, the first red aurora borealis appeared to the naked eye. What an event! And the closer we got to solar maximum, the more reds and solar storms we saw.

At solar maximum, however, we saw fewer long-lasting green and pink dances. It was more brief.

At solar minimum, we have auroras every night too, but green and dancing overhead with pink. We don’t have those red walls from the south.

I’ve included 2 photos below. The first was taken during a solar storm close to solar maximum. The second taken during solar minimum, in 2020.

Seeing the northern lights during a full moon, a bad idea?

They say that the best time to see the Northern Lights is during the new moon, when there isn’t a bit of moonlight. So it’s true and false at the same time.

Yes, you can see the northern lights with the moon!

The moon has one advantage: it highlights the environment. So if you’re in a nice place, with a fjord and pretty fir trees that you want to show up in your photos, yes, it’s really good.

The moon doesn’t prevent you from seeing the northern lights. But you can’t see them the same way. They’re brighter, and when they’re not strong, they’re less impressive. You can see the colors with the moon, but that doesn’t stop it. You can see them dance without any problem.

But they look lighter, the green is lighter.

So, can you see the northern lights with the moon? yes!

Do you have to CHANGE the date to get the new moon and not be bothered by its brightness? Frankly, it’s up to you. You can see them, you can enjoy the scenery. But I would never tell you to specifically change the dates of your trip because there’s a moon.

If your objective is to see the aurora, I’d say “yes, but”. If you also want to take photos, the moon will be your friend. If you’re afraid of the dark, then the moon is your best bet.

Once again, the moon illuminates, yes, but it doesn’t prevent you from seeing the aurora. Only the very weak ones. If the auroras are beautiful, then you’ll see them beautiful. You’ll see them dance with or without the moon.

Below are two photos taken with a beautiful moon.

Practical information about the Northern Lights

• How to see the Northern Lights at night

First you need to know where the clouds are, via the weather app. Identify clear areas and drive to them. Find a light pollution-free spot with a clear view. And then wait! In the following article, I’ll tell you a lot more about hunting for the Northern Lights

• Where are the best places to see the Northern Lights?

Tromso is a great place because it offers so many possibilities. Swedish and Finnish Lapland are very cold but have better weather, while the Lofoten Islands have the most beautiful scenery.

Here are the 9 best places to see the Northern Lights

• What time do the northern lights come?

It’s hard to say. Just because it’s dark at 3pm doesn’t mean there are auroras at 3pm. It’s more to do with the Earth’s rotation, when it gets closer to “night night”. So I advise you to be in place from 7pm onwards, but it’s possible to have them earlier (we’ve seen many around 4/5pm these past days). It’s possible to see nothing until midnight and pouf! And rarely, it’s possible to have absolutely nothing despite a superb sky.

But check the northern lights activity with the most important data : Bz

• Do you need a car to see the Northern Lights?

You need to find a cloudless spot, so it’s not guaranteed that the sky will be clear where you’re staying. It happens, but it’s far from obvious. So find a cloudless, lightless area, a clear spot. I advise you to have a car to give yourself the best chance

• Do I need a guide to see the Northern Lights?

If you don’t have a car, yes, clearly. A guide takes care of driving on the snow, in the storm, finding the right places without clouds, so you don’t have to worry. So it’s very practical! In the following article, I’ll show you the best aurora guides in Tromso.