Northern Lights season is upon us with the dark winter nights offering up peak conditions for seeing the incredible aurora.
Unfortunately thanks to the pandemic it’s unlikely a trip to the best countries for seeing the Aurora will be on the cards as travel restrictions continue.
The silver lining is that, while you can’t physically go and see them, you could catch a glimpse of the phenomenon without needing you leave your sofa.
That’s because the Live Aurora Network has placed cameras in some key aurora-viewing spots around the world, and they’ve been known to get some incredible live footage of the lights.
You can watch an Alaska livestream, a Norway livestream or an Iceland livestream throughout the winter months.
Time zones mean that the Alaska livestream probably won’t be ideal for Brits, but Norway is only one hour ahead of the UK while there’s no time difference between Iceland and the UK.
Another perk is that you won’t need to sit and wait for hours in the hopes of seeing the lights – you can download the network’s app and opt in for alerts when one of the cameras does pick up the aurora. (The app can be downloaded for a free month’s trial and then a subsequent £0.99p per month subscription).
Brothers Steven and Tony Collins founded the network in 2018 after having devoted countless hours searching for the Northern Lights in remote landscapes. The app uses a Northern Lights detection system to provide ‘real-time’ alerts for viewers too.
Now, we know a livestream won’t be anything close to the experience of seeing the aurora in real-life, but for now it can be a nice way of getting a taste until restrictions lift and we’re once again able to explore the world.