Chasing the Northern Lights in Sweden

The Aurora Borealis is an experience that shows up on almost every bucket list. The Aurora is formed by solar flare, sunspots, or bursts of solar material instigating space weather. The charged particles created by the sun rush and collide with the earths atmosphere and travel along the arching gasses towards the magnetically charged poles. The ranging gasses of oxygen and nitrogen, along with altitude differences, determine the colors your eye see when these particles are deflected. Historically, peoples from all over the world have recorded their observations with written and illustrated accounts. Records have been found in China, Babylon, by North American Indigenous tribes, and in a 30,000 year old cave painting in France. The Vikings of Scandinavian lore believed the light was reflecting off the armor of Valkerie, the goddess of war. However, the astronomer Galileo gave the lights their name in 1619 after the Roman goddess of dawn and the Greek god of the north wind.

Even though there are Aurora’s happening every moment of every day, its tricky to get to experience them for three reasons.
1. You really need a good solar flare, up to three days ago, so that enough particles are moving along the atmosphere at the right moment. This is measured as a KP value.
2. You also need the right timing. The darkest nights of the year, usually September to April, are best. But you need clear skies- so the dead of winter may not be the best opportunity. March/April or October seems to have more mild weather in the Arctic Circle, with March and October having been found to be the most geomagnetically active months.
3. You need to be in the right place geographically. Generally a 1500 mile radius around the North Pole is recommended, although much further southern latitudes have experienced the lights as well. So even if you plan for these three things to line up, you still have to pray to the gods of weather for clear skies and solar flares.
After a failed experience chasing the Aurora Borealis in Fairbanks, Alaska, we decided to try Sweden as our next destination.

Getting There:
Getting to Northern Sweden in winter can be challenging. For us it was especially difficult because we were traveling pretty soon after Covid restrictions had lessened and the world was not quite back to its full speed. Conflicting information along with each countries’ constant policy changes added to the anxiety of the travel, but in the end we were able to work through the roadblocks and make it from Los Angeles to Scandinavia. We chose to fly into Norway and do a bit of touring there first, then we flew to Tromso and drove to Sweden from there. I don’t know if I would recommend this option to everyone. Mainly because we arrived in Norway in a snowstorm, in the dark night, in a rental car covered in ice, with no GPS, and the only road signs were in Norwegian. I remember getting settled in the car with my phone and some printed maps and having a kind of nervous laugh. Colby looked over at me with two hands on the wheel and confident determination on his face and said “we’ve got this.” And somehow he channeled his inner Viking and followed his connection to the earths magnetic field and did get us there, barely. At one point coming over the two lane mountain pass with sheets of snow falling, a semi truck coming from the opposite direction lost control and started skidding on the icy road, sideways, into our lane and directly for us. Colby saved our lives once again, but it was a close call. Alternatively, normal people that don’t have a death wish can fly into the Harstad/Narvik Airport, and avoid the scenic route we took. Either way, once there, its best to have a car. The region is located in a long valley alongside a lake and surrounded by mountains, which helps block the bulk of the big winter storms. However, the unpredictable weather can lead to small pockets of areas to see the Northern Lights which may change daily or hourly. To find the best and darkest locations each night its likely you’ll be spending some time in the car, which is why its nice to have your own flexible travel source.
Where to Stay:
We chose to stay in two different areas of the valley, Abisko Mountain Lodge, and a glass igloo in Kiruna that we found on Airbnb. Both were fantastic. The lodge was small but comfortable, complete with a dry sauna and an amazing restaurant. Im still dreaming about the food there honestly. It was located in the heart of town with access to public transportation as needed. The igloo was a bit more rustic, like staying in a round RV, with an RV style composting toilet. It was situated alone in the middle of a frozen lake, which was great for dark skies and privacy. The main grounds of the accommodations had a restaurant and sauna as well, you just had to walk across the frozen lake to get there. We thought splitting our trip into two locations in the valley would give us the best chances of catching the show.

Our Experience:
As mentioned, we got some pretty intense weather systems during our trip. Although we traveled in the best month, in the right place on the planet, with a great KP index, we still had to contend with the clouds. Each night we would trek around in our car from midnight until 3am, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive night sky. During the day we would sleep and then venture out for an activity, eat and lounge in the sauna. While we were having a great time, we weren’t getting to see what we really came for. By the last night of our trip, I had made peace with not getting to experience the Aurora on this visit. That is why they call it “chasing the lights” after all, which we already experienced first hand from our failed attempt in Alaska the year prior.
The last night of our trip, we were staying in the glass igloo on a snowy stormy day. As the sun set, the snow lessened and we prepared to go to dinner in the main cabin on the property. Colby went outside to take some pictures as I put the last of my layers on, and then he immediately popped his head back in and shouted, “Turn off the lights!” So I did, and we looked up. The clouds had parted and left behind a crystal clear night sky with twinkling stars, and right above us, a ribbon of green. I literally still cannot believe it and I get choked up just remembering the elation of that feeling. We hurriedly grabbed our gear and went outside as the solar flare built up on the atmosphere. Soon, colors of purple and red were joining the green, and the ribbons danced and undulated across the horizon. Im not sure how else to say it, but it was everywhere. It was all around us, like we were inside of a colorful snow globe, like we were a part of it. I felt like I could reach out and run my hands through the rainbow of refracting light like little rivers suspended in the air. It was one of the most impactful and humbling experiences I have ever encountered.
Although we took photos and videos and time lapses, the content just does not do justice to the reality. We stayed outside for a long time, coming into the igloo to thaw out and warm our hands, because even with the best gear it was, again, the Arctic Circle in winter. After I got too tired to stand I lay in bed in the dark igloo and just watched the Aurora dance across the glass for hours and hours. Literally perfection.
Tips and Tricks:
Check the Aurora forecast regularly to watch the KP values. Even if the weather forecast is dismal, you never know how the clouds may clear for 15 minutes and show the secrets that lay above them. Also, join a local Aurora Facebook group or blog so you can track where and how often sightings are happening in that area. Wear the right clothing! Temperatures can drop drastically in the Arctic Circle and any exposed skin can be critically damaged quickly. Make sure you have adequate clothing and layers to keep warm and dry. For photography, use a camera or smartphone with a long exposure time and a tripod to keep stable. Many times the device or camera will pick up on colors or patterns your naked eye won’t, which makes the experience even more fun when going through the photographs later!

Other Things to Note:
Hunting the nighttime spectacular still leaves several hours of daylight and time to burn. There are lots of other fun activities in the area to engage in! We went show shoeing one day out into the frozen forest. It was quiet and serene alone in the woods, and sometimes those moments bring so much clarity to the world. We also went cross country skiing at Bjorkliden Ski Resort. The parks maintained trails allowed us to try our hand at a new sport and have a yummy lunch. In addition, there are shopping options in Kiruna for all kinds of treasures- including reindeer pelts, local made indigenous products, wool clothing and more. One day we tried ice fishing, which was different, and Colby even caught a fish. There was the option to go snowmobiling as well which we had done before and felt too tired to do this time. Otherwise, bring a good book and curl up by a fire and relax with a view of the frozen landscape.
Chasing the Aurora Borealis is one of my favorite memories. Being able to finally encounter them was made so much sweeter because of the quest and the adventure of the hunt. There is something magical found when circumstances align and you get to observe something so uncontrolled. It feels like a gift.
Happy chasing!