The Northern Lights have to be seen to be believed
Enjoy yourself amongst breathtaking destinations on Ambassador Cruise Line’s no-fly premium value sailings, designed to suit a range of tastes and budgets.
Plus, with Ambassador’s Purple Month offers, and choice of a free drinks package or £20pppn onboard credit, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Why not expand your horizons in 2024/25 with a sailing to the ethereal Northern Lights in Norway?
The Northern Lights have to be seen to be believed: nature’s ultimate light show, far outclassing any mere laser display, with vivid green and pink luminosity dancing across the inky sky to delight and enthral you.
There’s nowhere better to take in this primeval wonder of nature than from magnificent, unspoilt Norway, and Ambassador bring you the very best this northern land has to offer: exploring the endless magnificent coastline dotted with charming villages before venturing far beyond the Arctic Circle in search of the mythical Aurora Borealis.
The best moment for watching the aurora is when the auroral arcs reach furthest toward the equator and the magnetic pole is in between the observer and the Sun. This special time is called magnetic midnight.
Seasoned traveller and geologist, Todd Salat lives by his ‘mission statement’ – “Be there-Preserve the Moment-Share it.” Todd told us the secret to seeing the lights, and when to get the best photo:
“Learn how to stay awake all night, because some of the best shows I’ve ever seen have been after 4 am.”
His site, Aurora Hunter is dedicated to photos, movies and books about the lights.
NASA, Atmospheric Administration and the National Oceanic create ‘aurora alerts’ and these are accessible to the public so anyone keen to catch the lights can know when and where to go.
Commonly, the best time of the year to see the Northern Lights is between September and March, but that depends on the location. For example, Tromsø in Norway believe their season actually lasts longer:
“Our Northern Light’s season covers the months when we have darkness in what you would call the ‘night-time hours’ (late August to early April) but here in the Arctic, we cannot really refer to ‘night and day’ in the same way as elsewhere. The auroral oval comes over Tromsø from 18:00 to approximately 02:00 so that is the main time period to see the Northern Lights.”
There are several locations across the Northern Hemisphere where you can marvel at nature’s own light show. You can only see them at high latitudes on dark nights, which is why it is rare to see them in England, but they can be seen in northern Scotland.
Auroras happen near to earth’s magnetic poles – that is why there is a ‘Southern Lights’ but because the South Pole is so inaccessible, they are often forgotten about. This is why you have to be at a northerly location to really experience them. Norway and Iceland are two of the best places to see the Northern Lights because of their remoteness.
Explore Norway’s Land of the Northern Lights sailing on your next no-fly cruise with Ambassador.
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