When can you see the northern lights in Svalbard?
When you can see the Northern lights in Svalbard depends on a few factors... The Northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, are basically one huge fantastic light show put on by nature, changing colour depending on the gases in the atmosphere. This phenomenon can be seen in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, in the South it is called the Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis. It only happens in these extreme poles because the solar wind particles needed are pulled into place by the magnetic fields (without going into too much technical detail!). The Svalbard Northern Lights aren't considered to be one of the best places for viewing the northern lights owing to a lower concentration of Auroral Borealis in the atmosphere, however they are still very good. Other places where they can be viewed include Churchill in Arctic Canada
NEXT STEPS
• Browse our Svalbard holidays
• Download our free polar bear guide
• Contact our Destination Specialist for advice