#northern-lights

#northern-lights

The sun is putting on a show. On Sunday the star unleashed several strong and bright solar flares, including one of the most powerful eruptions seen in decades. Far from the steadily glowing orb we sometimes picture, the sun's surface is made up of roiling plasma thrown about by twisting magnetic fields. When these fields snap, they can throw out huge bursts of energy and charged particles into spacea solar flare.

Travelers to Alaska have a lot of ground to cover; the state holds 665,000 square miles of land that includes volcanic islands, Arctic tundra, glaciers, and temperate rainforest. Yet in winter, some of the state's most compelling scenery can be experienced in a week aboard the Alaska Railroad. The railroad's weeklong Aurora Winter Train "showcases the best of winter in Alaska," including easy access via Anchorage, a sled dog tour with an Iditarod champion,

There are few things in nature as utterly breathtaking as the Northern Lights. I can say that from experience: getting to see multicolored lights shimmering in the atmosphere one night in Iceland is one of the most stunning things I've ever seen, full stop. Their appeal is one of the reasons why the rare occasions when the Northern Lights are visible in the continental United States becomes an event.

Heading to the Arctic north at this time of year usually means Santa, Northern Lights and reindeer but Culture Trip's Cassam Looch explored two destinations offering something very different. I can't lie, my initial excitement at visiting Finland in the winter was almost entirely based around the prospect of seeing the Northern Lights. After a series of near misses, I thought this would be the trip where I finally caught a satisfying glimpse of the spectacular natural phenomenon in the sky.

While the UK is in the middle of a northern lights boom , London hasn't seen so much of the borealis this year. The capital's southerly location is at a disadvantage when it comes to catching a glimpse of the phenomenon, and on the very rare occasion when the lights do make it down here they're often obscured by light pollution. But that could all change this week. Forecasters are predicting that London could be in for some spectacular shows of the northern lights this week,

IcelandAir analyzed TikTok data and travel guides to determine which Northern Lights hotspots in the U.S. have stayed the most under the radar. After compiling a list of the best places to see Northern Lights in the country, the airline's researchers examined how often hashtags related to each location were used on TikTok. The comparisons revealed which destinations are the most overlooked by astronomy lovers.