Seeing the Northern Lights in Finland!

By Chloe Bolton, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

It truly is a breath-taking experience. You can see them all year round in Helsinki if you’re lucky, but if it’s a must on your bucket list it is worth going up North to Oulu or anywhere in Lapland.
I was lucky enough to see the northern lights a few times this year in Finnish Lapland (December), in Oulu (February) and in Helsinki (May), but a lot of people saw them from Helsinki in September. If you are on the lookout you should be able to see them more often than that!To stay alert I would recommend the Aurora app, it’ll notify you when you have a good chance of seeing them.

Here’s a few things to keep in mind to make sure you’ve got the best conditions:

Clouds: This is probably the most important factor – there can be high solar activity in the sky, but if it’s cloudy you wont be able to see any of it
City lights: This isn’t the problem people make it out to be! It is best to be outside of the city, as light pollution won’t affect the sky, but when solar activity is high you can see them from anywhere. It really depends.
The further north, the better: This is true. Winter nights are a lot longer up north, meaning more time to see the lights. Additionally, the population is less dense, so there is less light pollution.
Winter months: This is true, but definitely is not a rule. As I’ve just mentioned, longer nights do help, but I saw my brightest lights in May! If you are planning on making a trip out of seeing the lights, I would recommend December-January for the best chances.
Take a picture if in doubt: The first few spottings just looked like slightly green clouds to me. It was only once I took a picture that I was able to actually see it. Cameras (on night mode) are the best way to make sure you’re staring at northern lights! If the solar activity is high enough you will be able to tell with the naked eye.

Northern Lights in Lapland (December 7th-11th)

It’s worth mentioning that, like everyone will say, northern lights are unpredictable. So despite all of this, there is no guarantee! But I do have some good news, this year and next year are supposed to be particularly good years to see them due to solar explosions!

I hope this helps!