This MUST be on your bucket list: the Northern Lights!!!

in #steem8 years ago (edited)

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Last Christmas, I traveled to Norway and had the wonderful opportunity to see one of the strongest aurora activity in Tromsø. This was truly one of the best experiences of my life. The beauty of the glorious and mesmerizing Northern Lights WILL take your breath away. It was just simply AMAZING!

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Chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø, Norway.

How I got there from the U.S? I flew from New York - Amsterdam - Oslo - Tromso.

Where? Tromsø. A small city above the Arctic Circle, which is known to be the viewing point of the colorful Northern Lights. The Easiest way to get there is flying from Oslo (just a two-hour flight).

Believe it or not, I was able to see the Northern Lights on my first day! This is very unusual as tourists typically have to patiently "chase the magical aurora" for days.

In Tromsø the sun doesn't rise from November to January. This "Polar Night" is the reason why Tromsø offers one of the highest probabilities of experiencing the Northern Lights.

Tromsø offers all kind of winter and snow based activities, including camping, fishing trips, hiking, evening husky sled ride, and even a whale safari! Most of the activities will be planned around "chasing the northern lights". The weather and sky condition are significant factors affecting your northern lights experience - best viewed in cloudless dark nights. If you can't see the sky, you can't see the lights.

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My two favorite activities, highly recommended, were camping in the wilderness (this is where I saw the northern lights) and the husky dog sled tour. Dashing through the snow on a husky sled through the the beautiful wilderness was a truly unforgettable experience!Northern Lights!!!

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I love the Northern Lights. I don't see them as clearly in the southern part where I live, but every now and then I get a nice glimpse while taking my dogs out in the yard before going to bed ;)

I love them too and would love to go back soon! Wow, you are lucky! That would be a good motivation to walk my dogs every night :)

Hehe, yeah, it is. But they are not all that common here in the southern part, and I only see them maybe 5-10 times each winter. And they are not as clear as we see them on the pictures down here either. But it is still a great sight!

Oh wow!! Even in the pictures the lights look amazing! I can't even imagine how wonderful they must have looked in real life. I'll add this to my bucket list ASAP :).
How long were you able to view them? Is it an all night thing, or just a few hours?

Hello there! It is an amazing experience. Words cannot describe how beautiful they look. You should definitely add this to your bucket list! :) The lights can be seen anywhere from 10 minutes to all night long - depending on how clear the sky is. That night, we were able to see them for about 30 minutes.