See the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) on your trip to Lapland

If you are lucky during your trip to Lapland, you may get to see nature's most beautiful light show, the Northern Lights.

Also known by their Latin name of Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights have fascinated people for thousands of years.

What are the Northern Lights?

The encyclopaedia definition says they are "a colourful light phenomenon, which shows itself when charged particles, protons and electrons, carried by solar winds, hit the upper parts of the Earth's atmosphere".

The Northern Lights usually occur at a height of 100 km (60 mi) above ground level and can appear as a line of light, a curve, a beam, or pulses of light. The most common colours are greenish yellow and red. Some claim that they make a sound as they blaze across the sky; however, this has not been scientifically proven.

When do they appear?

The Northern Lights appear in our sky about 200 nights per year; however, they can't be seen when there's thick cloud cover.

On average, we have two clear nights per week. We can't guarantee Northern Lights; however, if you are spending a week or two in Lapland, you have a good chance of seeing them.

The strongest and brightest Northern Lights give as much light as the moon.

Beliefs About the Northern Lights

In the Sámi language, the Northern Lights are called guovssahasah". This means "the sun glowing in the sky in the morning or in the evening", as in "aurora", the Latin word for dawn.

Because of their appearance, the Northern Lights have been linked to many stories not only by the Sámi people, but by the Inuit, the people of Scandinavia, the Native North Americans, Siberians, Russians, and the people of the Baltic countries and Mongolia.

Many believe that they represent the spirits of the dead, while others believe they are forecasts of the weather or a forthcoming event. At one time they were even believed to be a reflection of large herring shoals in the ocean.

Whatever the belief, they are widely regarded as one of our planet's most spectacular sights, and the icing on the cake for any trip to Lapland.