the legendary northern lights

​You'll have to forgive my enthusiasm, but we've just returned from a Bon Voyage group trip to Iceland.  The Northern Lights were on our agenda and we were hoping they'd make an appearance.
 
And did they ever!!  The second night in Iceland. we bundled up in coveralls and boarded a boat in Reykjavik to look for the lights while cruising in the Bay.  We were so excited when we were treated to the most amazing show.  The lights were green and pink.  They danced across the sky.  We were enthralled with the show despite the cold temps out on the water.  The lights took up most of the sky!
 
We were able to see them subsequent nights while we were staying at the base of a volcano in the Vik region.  It was simply incredible.  One night, a couple of our group members went behind the hotel, leaned up against the building and there they were!  
 
There are a number of things that have to happen for the Northern Lights to appear.   They can be elusive, but it's well worth the wait!  It should be noted that all of the photos in this newsletter are from our Northern Light sightings during the trip. 
 
I highly recommend a trip like this! 
 
- Cindy -

destination of the week
the northern lights -Aurora borealis

The northern lights, or the aurora borealis, are beautiful dancing ribbons of light that have captivated people for millennia. But for all its beauty, this spectacular light show is a rather violent event.
The northern lights are created when energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph), but our planet's magnetic field protects us from the onslaught.
 
As Earth's magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles — there are southern lights, too, — the dramatic process transforms into a cinematic atmospheric phenomenon that dazzles and fascinates scientists and skywatchers alike.
 
At any given moment, the sun is ejecting charged particles from its corona, or upper atmosphere, creating the solar wind. When that wind slams into Earth's ionosphere, or upper atmosphere, the aurora is born. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere, it's called the southern lights (aurora australis).
 
"These particles are deflected towards the poles of Earth by our planet's magnetic field and interact with our atmosphere, depositing energy and causing the atmosphere to fluoresce," Billy Teets, the director of Dyer Observatory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee told Space.com.  The bright colors of the northern lights are dictated by the chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere.  "Some of the dominant colors seen in aurorae are red, a hue produced by the nitrogen molecules, and green, which is produced by oxygen molecules." Teets continued.
 
While solar wind is constant, the sun's emissions go through a roughly 11-year cycle of activity. Sometimes there's a lull, but other times, there are vast storms that bombard Earth with extreme amounts of energy. This is when the northern lights are at their brightest and most frequent.
Lucky for aurora hunters, we are currently approaching solar maximum which is predicted to peak between early 2024 to late 2025. Scientists cannot pinpoint exactly when solar maximum will occur but we do know it's on its way.
 
"Currently for solar cycle 25, by synthesizing all published predictions, the time interval for the cycle maximum ranges from late 2023 to early 2025" Frédéric Clette, solar physicist, World Data Center Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations (SILSO) and Solar Influence Data analysis Center (SIDC) told Space.com in an email.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) recently issued a revised prediction that suggests solar maximum may occur between January and October 2024.
If you're planning an aurora hunting trip now is the time as "the next 4-5 years will be the most favorable for auroral sightings," Clette continued.
 
https://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html

travel tip of the week
viewing the northern lights

​Let's face it.  The Northern Lights can be elusive.  You truly cannot predict when they'll be out, but here are a few ideas for enhancing your experience.

1.  Download an app that will help you to determine your likelihood of seeing the lights. There are many out there.  We suggest the Hello Aurora app.
2. Go North!  The further north you go, the better your chances for seeing them.
3. Get away from light pollution.  The darker and more remote the better.
4. Make sure your camera settings are optimal for photos of the lights.
5. Be Patient!!  The more you try, the better your chances of seeing them.

virtual vacation of the week

​The Northern Lights, commonly known as the aurora borealis, were named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas. 
Video by Guide to Iceland and found on YouTube

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