How and where to see the northern lights in 2021

Want to see the northern lights in 2021? The pandemic has meant that a lot of our travel plans are on hold – but it’s also created the perfect time to start dreaming of a bucket-list trip.

With a vaccine already being administered in numerous countries, there is hope that we could return to international travel this year - but is this the year to seek out the northern lights?

Some travelers may be disappointed to hear that it’s not the ideal year to plan a trip to see a magical display of aurora borealis – but a bit of planning can still make your dream come true.

While they are famous for dazzling across the night sky, the northern lights are actually influenced by the activity of the sun.

Rodney Viereck of the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) in the US explains that the sun goes through a roughly 11-year cycle, which includes three to four years of solar maximum.

The solar minimum occurred in December 2019, which kicked off the start of a new solar cycle. We’re currently closer to the minimum, and will ramp up to the next expected maximum in July 2025.

Luckily, there is a benefit of being closer to the solar minimum – it means that the lights can actually be more predictable.

In the solar maximum, the sun is more “active”, leading to northern lights that are caused by solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, these auroras are sudden and short-lived.

But there’s another phenomenon that causes the northern lights - coronal holes, which can last for months.

Rodney explains: “as the sun rotates every 27 days, we can get the blast of high speed solar wind, much like someone spinning around holding a garden hose and spraying you every time they spin around".

And if there was good aurora 27 days ago, then there is a good chance there will be aurora today - and then again 27 days from now.