In Iceland almost all the natural forces carry a story: the trolls in the mountains, the monsters in the ocean, elves and hidden people in the cliffs, the gods of thunder, love and war.
And then there is Aurora, the goddess of dawn and the forgotten god of the Northern Lights. She’s there. You have to be patient to meet her. She’s the one dancing the lights in the night sky.
People come to Iceland, dreaming to see her dancing in the sky. She’s been dancing in Iceland long before people settled in Reykjavik. More than a thousand years ago.
If you are here for her, let me tell you, it is not easy predicting her appearance. It is definitely not an easy task! You need to explore the ice-cold Icelandic nights with patience and courage. Then, maybe, if she feels like being seen, she’ll take you on a journey. A journey to understand the mysterious northern lights.
You might think Aurora is alone. But she’s not. She has sisters all over the solar system, just recently discovered.
How does the magical northern light occur?
The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The solar wind moves so quickly that it can reach speed over 80 million kilometers per hour. After 6 hours it passes Mercury. After 12 hours the planet Venus. And after 18 hours it reaches Earth.
In Earths outer core the flow of liquid iron generates electric contents that produces the magnetic field. An invisible suit that protects us. When the pressure of the solar shield breaks through the wind it liquids some of the particles trapped inside and slam into the atmosphere to create Auroras.
Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.
People travel thousands of kilometers all over the world to witness Auroras iridescent. As you look for her, pay close attention to the shapes and patterns in the sky. She often brights suddenly and then fades within minutes. Since it’s origin, mankind have always been fascinated by her lights. And even though we know the scientific reason for the aurora, the dazzling natural light show can still fire our imaginations to visualize fire bridges, gods or dancing ghosts.
A quiet night in our jacuzzi may mean front-row seats to the aurora borealis curtains of fire… Well, that was one of our dreams and reasons traveling to Iceland in winter. But we were not so lucky. Aurora didn’t feel like dancing for us. We had many clouds and full moon. Instead we watched the phenomena in the Reykjavík planetarium… and what can I say?
Aurora, you fascinated me!
You captivated me forever.
You casted a spell over me.
Iceland is mysterious. Magical. Wonderful. Incredible!
Stuttgart547 