Aurora - on the move for the right observation spot
Around new moon in March I went with my brother on a “Aurora - the northern light” trip to Tromsø in Norway. Tromsø - at a latitude of almost 70 degrees - is the largest city north of the arctic circle. With a large airport, hotels and a very good infrastructure it is one of the best places to visit to see the northern light.
We had three nights to observe the light. But the weather was terrible. Rain and storm! During the second day we examined the weather forecasts and talked to the local experts. They all said: “Drive away from the coast into the highlands towards Finland”. On saturday we started driving eastwards already in the afternoon. We arrived at the small Finnish village Kilpilsjärvi just around sunset and suddenly the sky cleared. After a dinner at the small restaurant we went outside: And there - shining right through the twilight - we saw the most beautyful Aurora. For one hour we had the greatest display of this celestial wonder. And we were lucky - after one hour the snow came and we drove 3 hours back to Tromsø in heavy snow.
This trip proved the value of having mobile equipment that can be moved and set up fast to be ready when the opportunity appears.
