I’ve been trying to see the colorful Northern Lights for 10 years

I've always had a thing for seeing the Northern Lights. Ever since I was a kid, and read an article in National Geographic magazine. I have also always been fascinated by astronomical phenomena. I have very poor vision, like a badger, so this interest is a bit confusing to me. I have tried to see the Northern Lights three times in 10 years.

My first attempt was in 2016. For my 40th birthday, I decided to do a trip covering multiple countries in Lapland. This meant Sweden, Finland, and Norway. I thought that hitting as many spots as possible up in the aurora zone would be the best way to even the odds. I was dead wrong. Everywhere we went, it was overcast. Everywhere we went, we heard, "Oh, last week was amazing." This was a two-week trip in December, over Christmas. People we met loved showing us the pictures on their phones of how neat it was when they saw the Northern Lights. I hate those people (not really).

Tromsø, Norway - middle of the afternoon in December. Called the Paris of the north. Showing a quiet street with hanging red heart lights strung between buildings. — *Tromsø, Norway - middle of the afternoon in December.*

My second attempt was in 2024. I found a place called Abisko National Park in Sweden. There is a company called Lights Over Lapland that lets you stay in a house in the park (like an Airbnb) with supplies and food. A guide would take you around during the day and then, in the evening, take you Aurora chasing. There is not much around here, and it is pretty isolated. My thought was that if I stayed in one place, I'd have a better chance of seeing something. I was right. We saw some beautiful GREEN Northern Lights. Now, you would think I would be satisfied, but no, I was "raised" on Instagram and colorful waves of lights dancing through the sky. I did not see that. I wasn't satisfied.

Abisko National Park in March. Showing green Northern Lights with a tree in the foreground. — *Abisko National Park in March. Green Northern Lights in Lapland.*

My third attempt was in 2026. I went to Iceland for four days. I stayed in Reykjavik at a lovely hotel and did three Aurora chasing expeditions. It was a small group each time, about eight people. I saw the GREEN Northern Lights, again, faintly. Despite staying up way past my bedtime, I felt let down. Each charter had amazing colorful Northern Lights on their cover photos with smiling, happy people.

Iceland green Northern Lights with an overcast sky. — *Iceland green Northern Lights.*

So, yes, I have seen GREEN Northern Lights. I have not seen any other colors, such as red or purple. Will I still keep trying? Yes. Will I try as hard? No.

Credit: @discoverthewilds - Alaska. This is what I have been hoping to see.

For astrophotography, I recommend following photographer @babaktafreshi.

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There are “seasons” to the Northern Lights. You can only go in winter-ish. October-March. There are solar maximums. These timings influenced my travels. 2016 was not a good year, but 2024-2026 were good years. More stories to come.

I highly recommend Lights over Lapland. No affiliation.