Northern Lights in Iceland

The aurora borealis is a luminous phenomenon occurring in the atmosphere. They happen when charged particles from the sun collide with particles in the Earth's atmosphere. It is visible in the night sky at a high north latitude (as it approaches the North Pole). It is a spectacular phenomenon, famous for its shimmering colors. The ►

The aurora borealis is a luminous phenomenon occurring in the atmosphere. They happen when charged particles from the sun collide with particles in the Earth's atmosphere. It is visible in the night sky at a high north latitude (as it approaches the North Pole). It is a spectacular phenomenon, famous for its shimmering colors. The Northern Lights take on multiple and often magical colors.

Winter is the season during which the phenomenon can be observed. Auroras can be seen in Iceland from September to March, although a lucky few sometimes have the opportunity to see them from August to April.

The Northern Lights can be seen all over Iceland as soon as you step away from the light pollution of the cities to observe the aurora with greater intensity.
In Reykjavik, for example, a few spots slightly outside the city center are more suitable for viewing. The Seltjarnarnes Peninsula and the Reykjavik Lighthouse are places away from the city center where Icelanders like to wait for the Northern Lights to arrive, in front of Mount Esja.

Most of the tourist sites in the south, such as Jökulsárlón or Skógafoss, are very far from any light from the cities and, therefore, excellent spots, particularly photogenic.

The sweeping of the aurora in the Icelandic sky is magical; they are genuinely dancing in the sky. ◄