T
Kleifarvatn lake South West Iceland by Kristján U. Kristjánsson
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, occur at height of 100 km (62 miles) and take the form of a curtain fluttering in the wind, or points of light emitting from a single spot. The phenomenon is a fascinating spectacle, caused by electrical impulses entering the atmosphere from the sun and being guided by magnetic fields. When the particles meet molecules in the atmosphere the Northern Lights are formed and their colour is determined by the type of molecules. Incidentally, every occurrance of Northern Lights is ´answered´ a fraction of a second later, by Southern Lights over the Antarctic. In Greenland it was once believed that the Northern Lights were caused by the souls of the dead playing ball with walrus skulls. According to legend, if you whistled at the Northern Lights, they came closer before they finally made off with you. However, if you barked like a dog you could repel them. Feel free to bark! The Northern Lights appear all year round, but can only be observed under a clear, dark night sky. In practice this means that the Northern Lights are most impressive in the autumn months, but they can also be seen in March and they ´disappear´ in the light summer nights.
37