Northern Lights rare this winter
Northern Lights sightings have been fewer this year. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Conditions for Northern Lights sightings have been poor this winter in Iceland and travel agencies have had to cancel many Northern Lights trips.
Activity in the Northern Hemisphere has been low this winter and the weather unfavourable.
Astronomy expert Sævar Helgi Bragason says that December and January in general are not the most active period for Northern Lights. Aurora activity depends on changes from autumn until spring when the day begins to get longer, and he says that last autumn was fairly good for sightings.
"We are however sailing into a calm time in solar activity. This year, the yaer 2020 and 2021 are all fairly calm. There are fewer powerful solar northern lights storms than those in recent years. It's a natural and normal change. The Northern Lights are not disappearing they are simply less powerful."
