Iceland Mag

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Iceland Mag

Northern lights

Heads up: Fantastic conditions for northern lights sightings tonight!

By Staff |Jan 18 2017

  • Firing up the Northern Sky The combination of high activity and clear skies come together to create great conditions for spotting one of nature's most amazing shows. Photo/Ernir

The conditions for experiencing the northern lights will be brilliant around Iceland after midnight tonight. The skies will start to clear late tonight, and by midnight they should be clear or partly clear all around the country. According the excellent aurora forecast by The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) we can expect "high" or grade 5 northern lights activity tonight. 

Aurora forecast 18.1.17

Aurora forecast 18.1.17, Photo/IMO

IMO explains that grade 2 (low activity) can be beautiful and grade 3 (moderate) can be dazzling. Grade 5 has the potential of being truly spectacular.

Read more: Beautiful short film commemorating a week of fantastic northern lights

Be sure to dress warmly if you are heading for northern lights hunting as the mercury will drop to or below zero degrees Celsius (32 F) throughout the country in the evening. See IMO's forecast.

Read more: Learn all about the Aurora on this new interactive website

According to IMO it will be dark from 17.35 (5.35 pm) to 9.40 (9.40 am). Sunset is at 16.30 (4.30 pm) and the nearly full moon rises at 1.27 (1.27 am). The best conditions for spotting the Northern Lights should be between midnight and five in the morning. 

If you catch beautiful photos of the Northern Lights tonight, share them with us! 

Aurora forecast 18.1.17

Aurora forecast 18.1.17  Skies will be clear or partly clear all around the coast from midnight until five in the morning. Photo/IMO

 

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