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Topic: Finland

Expert: Jim Coll
Date: 4/7/2008
Subject: Exact city/place in lapland to watch auroras

Question
Hello Jim, I am not able to understand exact which part of Lapland will have the aurora phenomenon. Could you tell me what place/city/town/resort I should come so that I get chances of watching this great show! I would be travelling from Helsinki.

Answer
Hello Sudhir,

The pulsating and multicoloured Aurora Borealis is born at a height of about 100 kilometers above ground level as electrically charged particles collide with the earth's atmosphere near the magnetic poles.

Aurora Borealis can be seen from the beginning of September until April (but not every night). It isn't possible to see Aurora Borealis in the summer (May-August) because there is too much light then (there may already be too much light in April). We have the midnight sun in the summer.

There is Aurora Borealis in 200 nights in Northern Finland every year. However, you don't see it always if it is too cloudy.

You asked the exact city or place. It is possible to see Aurora Borealis everywhere in Lapland. It is quite easy to travel from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, "the capital of Lapland". Rovaniemi is a good place to see Aurora Borealis.

However, a more rural place could be even better so that city lights don't disturb watching Aurora Borealis. I recommend Saariselkä region ( http://www.saariselka.fi/index.php?la=en ), e.g. Kakslauttanen Resort (Hotel & Igloo Village, http://www.kakslauttanen.fi ). In a glass igloo you may even see Aurora Borealis from your bed! I have seen extremely beautiful Aurora Borealis in Saariselkä region.

You find more information about Aurora Borealis here:

A La Carte Lapland: http://www.alacartelapland.com

Arctic Academy: http://www.arcticacademy.fi

Arctic Circle Information: http://www.arcticcircle-information.fi/northernlights.html

Aurora in Levi center: http://www.kittilajournal.com/aurora.htm

Aurora photos by Studio Tunturi-Lappi: http://www.studiotunturi-lappi.fi/ (choose Aurora on the left)

Auroras now: http://aurora.fmi.fi/public_service/english/start_page.html and http://aurora.fmi.fi/public_service/english/earlier_auroras_material.html

Finland.com Travel Portal: http://finland.com/main-63-id.do

Finnish Meteorological Institute: http://www.fmi.fi/research_space/space_9.html

Jouni Jussila: http://spaceweb.oulu.fi/~jussila/aurora/

Lapland Finland: http://www.laplandfinland.com/?deptid=16543

Northern lights forecast: http://cc.oulu.fi/%7Ethu/Aurora/forecast.html

Oulu University: http://www.oulu.fi/~spaceweb/textbook/auroras.html

Polar Image (Aurora webcam & photos): http://www.polarimage.fi/menu/aurora.htm

Santa Television: http://www.santatelevision.com/northernlights/index.html

Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory: http://www.sgo.fi/

Ursa: http://www.ursa.fi/ursa/jaostot/revontulet/english.html

Virtual Finland: http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25559 and http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/aurora_borealis.html

Visit Finland: http://www.visitfinland.com/w5/index.nsf/(pages)/Midnight_Sun_and_Northern_Lights?OpenDocument&np=A

Feel free to contact me if you have more questions.

Welcome to Lapland!

With very best regards,

Jim

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