Also known by their Latin name aurora borealis, the Northern Lights often appear first as a soft green glow on the northern horizon. Gradually, the light intensifies, shifting into waves of colour that ripple and dance across the entire sky. Even locals who have grown up under these skies never tire of the spectacle. Each display is unique and every sighting inspires the same sense of awe.
Book your stay during the aurora season, or set out on a guided hunt to witness the magic for yourself.
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles, created when solar winds carry charged particles from the sun into the Earth’s upper atmosphere. As these particles collide with gas molecules (mainly oxygen and nitrogen) the gases release energy in the form of light, producing brilliant colours that ripple across the sky in shades of green, pink and violet.
Normally, the Earth’s magnetic field protects us from most of these particles, but near the magnetic poles the shield is weaker, allowing more of them to enter the atmosphere. This is why the Northern Lights are most often visible in polar regions such as northern Finland, Norway, Canada and Alaska, where conditions come together to create this breathtaking display.
Learn more about the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights can appear in a spectrum of colours, shaped by the type of gas molecules involved and the altitude at which collisions occur. The most familiar is a soft green glow, often rippling across the sky in graceful ribbons or waves. This colour is produced by oxygen molecules at altitudes of around 100 to 150 kilometres.
Beyond green, the auroras may reveal hues of red, yellow, blue and violet. The rare deep-red auroras occur when solar particles meet oxygen molecules at very high altitudes, typically above 200 kilometres. Nitrogen, on the other hand, creates the striking blue and purple tones that sometimes appear at lower altitudes or along the edges of brighter displays.
Each aurora is shaped by the interplay of solar activity, atmospheric composition and viewing conditions. This unique combination means that no two displays are ever the same, ensuring that every sighting is both different and unforgettable.
Levi lies within one of the world’s most active Northern Lights zones, where the aurora can appear as often as every other night. To witness them, however, the conditions must be right: the sky must be dark, and the weather clear. During the summer months, the Midnight Sun keeps the sky too bright, and clouds at any time of year can obscure the view from the ground.
The best opportunities to see the Northern Lights come on clear, starlit evenings between early September and April. Interestingly, the aurora is often more frequent during autumn and spring than in the depths of midwinter, though displays can occur at any point in the season. The most common viewing hours are between 10:00 PM and 02:00 AM when the sky is at its darkest and the spectacle is at its most vivid.
We recommend booking your stay for more than one night, to ensure your opportunity to witness the Northern Lights from your igloo.
Space Weather & Aurora Now
