Satu Renko
Ylläs is on the southern rim of the auroral oval that encircles the North Pole. Statistically speaking, there is a 60% chance of seeing the Northern Lights at Ylläs. All you need is a clear, starry sky without light pollution and good visibility northwards.
Dress up warmly and allow plenty of time when you go out looking for auroras. The biggest mistake is just to peek at the skies, as the show might start at any time over several hours. The most typical time for auroral displays is around midnight, and a couple of hours before and after. If no auroras have been seen by 1 am, it may be better to continue on the following night.
The Northern Lights appear when charged electrons from the sun reach the Earth’s atmosphere and collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms therein. The dispersed energy resulting from these collisions produces a burst of light.
Auroras appear in data as geomagnetic disturbances. The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) records local disruptions in the magnetic field at stations throughout the country, and maintains the Aurora Borealis and space weather service (https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/auroras-and-space-weather). The FMI Internet site is a useful place to monitor the probability of auroras. Their data is based on more extensive findings than mobile phone apps, although these can provide basic overall predictions.
At Ylläs it’s worth checking the data from the Muonio observation station. The bar chart shows the magnitude of geomagnetic disturbances over a 24-hour period. The blue columns display normal variation, while the red columns indicate geomagnetic disturbances powerful enough to increase the likelihood of auroras.
Being this far north, auroras are still possible in clear, starry skies without any significant geomagnetic disturbances.
The familiar green aurora light is due to the composition of the atmosphere. The Northern Lights typically dance about 100-200 km overhead, where the atmosphere consists mainly of oxygen atoms. Charged electrons collide with oxygen atoms, producing a greenish light. Red light is rare and indicates that solar wind particles reacted to oxygen even higher up at 140 to 300 km. A violet light sometimes visible at the lower edge of the auroras is formed at lower levels in the atmosphere, where the particles collide with nitrogen molecules.
The composition of each of the planet’s atmospheres determine what kind of auroras may occur. A green colour indicates that there is oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere!
Did you know that the Northern Lights are called “Revontulet” (‘fox fires’) in Finnish? According to an old legend, stroking a fox’s (revon) fur produces sparks of fire. When foxes roam over the fells, their tails brush against bushes and snow, and the resulting sparks and flames reach up to the heavens.
Did you know that the Northern Lights are called “Revontulet” (‘fox fires’) in Finnish? According to an old legend, stroking a fox’s (revon) fur produces sparks of fire. When foxes roam over the fells, their tails brush against bushes and snow, and the resulting sparks and flames reach up to the heavens.
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