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| Very bright green Aurora. Aurhor Unknow |
In the Winter months Northern countries are visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists which travel a lot of miles to enjoy one of the most beautiful natural phenomenons - The Northern Lights.
The most distant areas of Northern Europe promise something really amazing during the rather dark winter months. Aurora Borealis also known as Dawn of the Night, Polar Aurora or collectively know as Polar Lights is most popular with the name Northern Lights.
In the southern hemisphere it is known as Aurora Australis. It has similar properties, but is only visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, South America, or Australasia. Australis is the Latin word for "of the South".
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| Aurora australis in Antarctica. Credit: Samuel Blanc. |
The phenomenon occurs when the arctic winds combine with the loaded with electrons atmosphere of the Earth. This produces radiance. It's predominant color is green, however red, blue and purple colors could also be seen. Color differs depending on the altitude.
There are several places on Earth where you can visit to see the Northern Lights. Maybe the most famous one is the Norwegian city of Tromso. It is located at about 1700 kilometers (1056 miles) North from the Norwegian capital Oslo. Of course you would need to get away from the city lights.
The best time of the year to see Aurora is middle of January to the end of February. According to specialists the most bright lights are seen around midnight.
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| Northern Lights in Australia. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce: Image ID: wea02000, Historic NWS Collection; Location: Kangaroo Island, South Australia; Photographer: David Miller; Credit: National Geophysical Data Center. |
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| Aurora Borealis over Vadso. Credit: Jens Gressmyr. http://www.panoramio.com/user/121482?with_photo_id=571110 |
There is a Northern Lights festival in Tromso. The festival continues for 4 days.
Other than Tromso there are other spots in Norway where you can enjoy Aurora Borealis - Oslo, Trondheim, Stavanger, Bergen and Haugesund.
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| Beautiful Aurora lights over the sea |
Aberdeen is another European city that is popular amongst Aurora tourists.
The Lights can also be seen in Alaska, Iceland and Canada.
The Lights can also be seen in Alaska, Iceland and Canada.
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| Northern lights in Alaska |
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| Amazing view of Aurora Borealis over Iceland |
