Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.12.2016, Blaðsíða 42

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AURORA SPOTTING
Keep Watching
The Skies
Words JOHN ROGERS
Photo ART BICNICK
2016, by Icelandic standards, had
a beautiful summer. As winter
approaches there’s a sense of
satisfaction amongst Iceland-
ers, who are happily embracing
the change of season having
gorged on more vitamin D than
they’ve grown accustomed to in
recent years.
The darkening skies also
herald the return of the north-
ern lights. And although re-
ceived wisdom says they’re best
seen during midwinter when
the nights are at their longest,
the fairer autumn months are
perhaps even better for auro-
ra-spotting.
So, here are our tips on how
to maximise your chances of
spotting those elusive northern
lights.
CHECK THE
AURORA FORECAST
One big advantage of autumn
for aurora-spotting is that the
winter weather hasn’t yet set in,
so there’s more chance of clear
skies. Veður.is is the Icelandic
Meteorological Office, and they
offer forecast maps that look at
projected aurora activity, with
added cloud cover information.
The scale they use for aurora ac-
tivity goes from one to nine, and
even a two or three on the scale
can mean an impressive green
glow across the sky; a four or a
five can be very bright indeed,
with blue, white and pink hues.
LOOK OUT FOR ALERTS
Sometimes the aurora can give
a dazzling ten-minute display
that fills your Facebook feed
with photos, but by the by the
time you’ve finished what you
were doing and gone outdoors,
it’s over. If you live here, it’s no
big deal—but if you’re visiting,
it could be your only chance. So
if you receive an alert (try the
“Northern Lights Alert” group
on Facebook, for example), our
advice is to drop what you’re do-
ing and get outdoors quick. And
remember to dress warm—you
could be out for a while.
DODGE THE CITY LIGHTS
To see the lights at their bright-
est, you’re going to need to get
away from light pollution. Peo-
ple staying in downtown Rey-
kjavík often gather at Hallgrím-
skirkja, Sæbraut or Arnarhóll,
but there are better spots you
can try, such as the pier behind
Harpa with a yellow lighthouse
at the end. But if you want to see
the aurora at their best, you need
to step out of the city centre. You
could go to Perlan, the nearby
hilltop visitor’s centre, and find
a dark clearing in the surround-
ing woods; or you could go out to
Grótta, the lighthouse in Selt-
jarnarnes at the extreme west of
the Reykjavík peninsula.
GET OUT OF TOWN
An even better plan is get out of
town completely. There's a huge
variety of tour providers offer-
ing to take people out into the
wilderness, keeping an eye on
the cloud cover map to find out
where the clear skies are, via bus
or boat. You could also get some
extra use out of your rental car,
and go exploring independent-
ly. A few recommended spots
that aren’t too far away are the
Heiðmörk nature reserve, the
Þingvellir national park, and the
Hvalfjörður area. Look out for a
secluded spot, with unimpeded
views in as many directions as
possible. Good luck!
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