Northern Lights Delight
Looking toward Reykjavík from Vatnsleysuströnd beach, Saturday night. Light from the Imagine Peace Tower on Viðey island can be seen on the right. Photo/Hafsteinn Róbertsson
The northern lights put on a major show on Saturday and Sunday night, delighting anyone lucky enough to be gazing at the sky. Limited moonlight over the weekend made the northern lights much easier to see.
Numerous people flocked to Kaldársel, near Hafnarfjörður, Southwest Iceland, on Saturday night – far enough away from the capital area’s light pollution to be able to enjoy the celestial show.
On social media, many people posted their colorful photos of the northern lights. Hafsteinn Róbertsson was among them. “The trick is to have a wide aperture, take the picture during a long time, and to have the camera on a tripod,” he advises.
Clouds will be moving in from the west tonight, but in the eastern half of the country, skies will remain clear through the evening hours. Where skies are clear, the aurora activity tonight is expected to be moderate.
The northern lights appear in the sky when large numbers of electrons from the sun stream at high speed toward the earth along its magnetic field and collide with particles at an altitude of about 100 km.
You can always look up the aurora forecast and the expected cloud cover at en.vedur.is.
