Usually we associate the Northern Lights with the wintertime. However the northern lights happens all year around, but you can’t see it.

Usually you can’t see the Northern Lights in summertime because it in the north you will experience the Midnight Sun; the sun never goes down. It’s day all night…

In practice, you wont “experience” the Northern Lights before the beginning of September and keep up seeing it until the middle of April. On the other hand, if the Northern Lights are strong enough, they may still be seen against a twilight sky, and it is not unusual to see them from Tromsø on an August evening.

The Northern Lights are often referred to as “night aurora” because they occur on the night side of the Earth and they commonly appear in the early evening and continue late into the night. Although this is the most usual form of aurora, during winter on Spitzbergen, where it is dark even at midday, it is possible to observe the rarer “day aurora” which occurs on the “day side” of the Earth.

The aurora lies well above the highest clouds, so we need clear skies to be able to see it. In fact, cloudy skies are the greatest obstacle for auroral observations in northern Norway and for this reason the inland regions are better suited than near the coast.

The days around full moon are not conducive to viewing the Northern Lights because the background sky becomes so light. Finally, one should avoid cities and areas with much street lighting in order to experience the Northern Lights to the full.

Travel to Norway between September and April, and the north of Norway to see the Northern Lights the best possible way.