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Top 5 Places to Gaze at the Northern Lights

Posted: 07/12/11 23:00 GMT
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Next year heralds the start of a solar maxim, resulting in some of the most spectacular displays of the aurora borealis in the past 50 years. Here at Black Tomato we're choosing our pick of the best places to see the myriad dancing hues of the most spectacular light shows on the planet.

Svalbard Archipelago
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Officially part of Norway, Svalbard Archipelago is so far north that it is part of the Arctic Circle. In this stunning untouched land of stark whiteness, polar bears far outnumber humans, and the myriad hues of the aurora borealis dance throughout the night sky.
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Next year heralds the start of a solar maxim, resulting in some of the most spectacular displays of the aurora borealis in the past 50 years. Here at Black Tomato we're choosing our pick of the best p...
Next year heralds the start of a solar maxim, resulting in some of the most spectacular displays of the aurora borealis in the past 50 years. Here at Black Tomato we're choosing our pick of the best p...
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NataliaRobba
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04:30 PM on 12/08/2011
These types of posts frustrate me quite a bit. For people who dream of seeing the Aurora Borealis, this type of post is a little misleading. There is a great difference between spotting a faint green glow on the horizon with a glimmer or movement, to seeing a full on Aurora Borealis display, with dancing curtains, spirals overhead, colours changing to and fro (This is what most people dream of seeing). Geographical latitude largely dictates your chances of seeing the Aurora, for the greatest chances you should aim for 70 degress north (give or take a few degrees). Any more than this and the intensity and regularity of the Aurora Borealis diminishes. I'm sorry I don't mean to sound difficult but considering the title of this post is 'Top 5 places to see the Aurora Borealis' I feel it would be unfair not to offer my 2 cents and mention some of these locations are not the best. Lulea is a little too far south, Svalbard is actually too far north. The others are too vague. Some suggestions that would give you the greatest chances would be:
Norway - Tromso, Alta, Nordkapp
Sweden - Abisko
Finland - Nellim, Utsjoki
Canada - Yellowknife
Alaska, US - Fairbanks, Bettles
I can personally vouch for some of these.
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