The northern lights season in Iceland begins in late August and continues through mid/late April.
During this long period, Iceland experiences sufficient darkness for the Aurora to be visible at night.
However, chances of experiencing the northern lights vary depending on the time of year. Find out which months are the best for seeing the Aurora here.

To be able to see the northern lights you need sufficient darkness. During summer we have what we call the “midnight sun”, meaning that there are no hours of actual nighttime darkness. These conditions are perfect for late night hiking and exploring, but make it impossible for us to observe the Aurora in Iceland between May and early August.
Want to know more about light conditions in Iceland? Check the sun graph and learn about twilight and dusk in Iceland.

Northern lights are statistically often seen between 9:00pm and 1:00am, but they may appear at any time as long as it is dark (and the sky clear).
During the winter months, when the hours of light are limited, the northern lights can often appear as early at 7:00pm.
As the exact time of an Aurora display cannot be predicted, keep your eyes at the sky. And remember, patience is key!

Auroras can last any time between few minutes and hours.
Each northern lights display is different, and varies in duration. Furthermore, the northern lights are not always visible for the entire duration of a single Auroral episode: they often change in intensity throughout a single display, and can go from very bright to incredibly faint, to the point they are hardly visible at all any more.
Learn more about how the northern lights behave duration-wise here.

Well, that depends. First of all, Iceland is well-known for its unpredictable weather: the fact that it is cloudy now does not mean that the sky will still be cloudy 5 minutes from now.
As long as we can find some gaps in the cloud cover, some windows of clear sky – there’s hope.
And, even when it’s cloudy, keep in mind that not all clouds are the same. For example, high clouds are often see-through and do not necessarily disrupt our view. Rule of thumb: if you can see the stars, you can potentially see the northern lights too.
Once again, keep your eyes at the sky und check the forecast regularly for the most reliable prediction.

Das northern lights season in Iceland starts in late summer.
As you can imagine, this means that you don’t need cold temperatures to see an Aurora (although you should not expect t-shirt weather at night in Iceland, not even in August).
The northern lights happen way above the weather systems, and are not influenced by weather systems and temperature fluctuations in the lower atmosphere.
Find out more here.

Iceland is located within the so called “aurora belt“, the area where the northern lights are typically seen.
In the Arctic region, the belt extends between 60°N and 70°N latitude. As Iceland in its entirety is included between 63°N and 67°N, and therefore well within the aurora belt, chances of seeing the northern lights are virtually the same everywhere around the island – if weather allows.
That said, the likelihood of witnessing the northern lights is higher away from the city lights, and some areas around the country are especially scenic. Here are our favourite locations for northern lights spotting in Iceland.

The northern lights happen in a variety of colours. Green is by far the most common, but the Aurora can also appear in vibrant shades of pink, purple, red, violet and blue.
To the naked eye though, the northern lights can look quite faint, and at times be perceived as white or grey-ish. This is due to limitations in our night vision.
Camera devices instead can capture a more truthful version of the colours, as, in most cases, it possible to adjust the device settings in order to better adapt to the night time conditions.
Find more about how to improve your night vision and learn how to take great Aurora shots here.

No, the northern lights are not going anywhere!
The Aurora has been visible in the Arctic for centuries, and that is not going to change any times soon.
What is true is that the solar activity, which is responsabile for the occurrence of the northern lights on our planet, changes over time, following an eleven-year cycle.
During each solar cycle, the Sun goes from a peak to a minimum of activity. During the peak, the so called “solar maximum“, we can expect enhanced activity and, potentially, stronger northern lights visible from unusual latitudes (in the northern hemisphere, this means Auroras being spotted further south than usual). While, during the solar minimum, such unusually strong occurrences become rarer.
Still, at Arctic latitudes the northern lights can be see clearly throughout the whole cycle. And Iceland, being well within the “Aurora belt”, is and will remain the perfect destination for northern lights hunting!

Das Bz value is part of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), which is the magnetic field carried by the solar wind coming from the Sun.
Why does it matter for the Northern Lights? Earth’s magnetic field points north. If the solar wind’s magnetic field (Bz) points south (a negative Bz), it connects with Earth’s field and lets charged solar particles into the atmosphere. This interaction helps create the northern lights. If instead, Bz is positive (northward), the fields don’t connect well, and fewer particles get in — meaning weaker or no aurora.
Think of Bz like an ON/OFF switch: negative Bz (south) = ON, good chance of Aurora soon. Positive Bz (north) = OFF, Aurora less likely.
Learn more about Bz and how the forecast works here.

Which are the best forecast apps and websites for northern lights hunting?