Pocket the secret to hunting for the Northern Lights from Travel blogger Ly Thanh Co

What is the Aurora Borealis?

Auroras are produced between the Sun's atoms interacting with the Earth's atmosphere. Countries at high latitudes can admire this phenomenon. Auroras have a range of colors from white, green, blue, pink and purple from low to high intensity. The most common colors are still green and blue.

• Time: September to April, the best time is November to February.
• Location: Alaska, Northern Canada, Northern Sweden, Northern Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Finland.
• Conditions to see the Northern Lights: the time to see the Northern Lights in winter is from 8 pm to 2 am, the sky is clear, the moon is not full, the temperature is extremely cold and there is no light pollution.

Iceland is the best place to see the aurora. This is the country with the lowest winter temperature, which is very suitable for watching the "lady" aurora. The reason is that the gulf stream flows through this country, causing the winter temperature in the capital Reykjavik to only reach a maximum of -15 degrees Celsius on the coldest day.

Iceland is also a place where the Northern Lights often appear with a high KP index. The conditions for viewing the Northern Lights in Iceland are also ideal due to the sparse population and low light pollution, making it possible to see the Northern Lights even in the city at high intensity. The wind in this country is also among the third strongest in the world, and the clouds are always changing, making it easier to get clear skies than in other countries.

WHAT TO PREPARE WHEN HUNTING FOR "GREEN FAIRIES"?

1. Predictive applicationsresistanceclight

Basic weather app: check the weather before because if it's raining, snowing, or cloudy it's not ideal for aurora viewing, if it's forecasted to be cloudy or snowing then you should take a blanket to bed and not waste your time.

Aurora app to check the intensity of the aurora: this is a basic app to check the intensity of the aurora. If the KP index is 3, you can track the aurora. The app also has a map to track where the aurora is moving on Earth.

2. Wear warm clothes

The three-layer rule: a close-fitting layer, a woolen layer, and a windproof layer. If your clothes are not warm enough, add a few more layers.

Warm gloves are a must as the cold weather will leave you shivering and unprepared for the photo shoot. A woolen hat is also needed to keep your head warm and your ears warm as this is where you lose body heat the most.

Warm water will not be redundant when bringing a pot of hot coffee or tea to help the body always regulate and retain heat.

3. Photography equipment

DSLR cameras or smartphones can take photos in the dark (you can definitely expose with a smartphone but the photos will not be beautiful and sharp enough). In addition, you need a tripod, a flashlight or a flashlight from your phone, and a spare battery for both your camera and phone if you stay for a long time.

How to take pictures with the Northern Lights

Taking photos with the Northern Lights alone is very simple, you just need to expose for long periods and focus on the right edge of the light. But taking photos of people with the Northern Lights requires more preparation. Below is a guide from travel blogger Ly Thanh Co to take photos of the Northern Lights for a lifetime.

1. Camera settings

For moving Aurora Borealis: exposure for 3-10 seconds and ISO 1600 - 3200, f1.4 - 2.8.

For low-motion Northern Lights: 10 - 30 second exposure, ISO 600 - 800, f1.4 - 4.0.

2. Pose and hold the pose

This step requires the model to be really patient because just moving will blur the face a lot and the sky is also dark.

3. Click to take the photo!

The photographer presses the shutter, and immediately holds the flashlight or flash from the phone up in front for 1-2 seconds just enough to light up the subject's face, then covers the flash immediately and the photo is completed.

Travel blogger Ly Thanh Co also noted that both the photographer and the person being photographed need to be very patient because of the harsh weather conditions. But Iceland is also the place with the most pleasant temperature, other places will be colder and this is an experience that only happens once in a while, so try to do it together.

Ly Thanh Co's unforgettable aurora hunting trip

In Reykjavik, there are safaris that start at 8pm and end at 10pm. This safari is guaranteed to see the lights before you pay. If you buy a tour, they will cancel the tour if the weather is not good and reschedule you for another day. In case you cannot join the tour the next day, the tour company will send you an unlimited voucher so that you can join this tour anytime you return to Iceland.

As for his trip, travel blogger Ly Thanh Co shared that during the first 4 nights, the conditions for viewing the aurora were almost hopeless with clouds, rain, snow, and all kinds of things blocking the view, and the KP index for viewing the aurora was not very positive.

On the penultimate night, just getting on the safari bus, one of the group saw the northern lights on the right side towards Keflavik airport and the whole group ran towards it.

"It felt so magical with a sky full of stars, and the Northern Lights swirling above my "seductive curves". At that moment, I could only exclaim:What fairy tale land am I in?- of course I know, I'm in Iceland, a real place on Earth".

The next day, Li Chengji's group was extremely lucky to drive to a frozen lake, with a snow-capped mountain in the background. The natural beauty that appeared before their eyes was like a miracle, because at this time the aurora was even clearer and more beautiful than the day before, winding endlessly, and even though it was -9 degrees Celsius, the adrenaline rising in his body made him forget all about the cold...

Tuong Minh