Photo above shows the beauty of the northern lights as seen from Northern Europe.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> Every year, adventurers from all over the world flock to Iceland to see the northern lights. According to <\/span>this Forbes article<\/span><\/a>, the northern lights are the top sought-after bucket list experience, surpassing the <\/span>Great Barrier Reef<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>cruising Norway\u2019s fjords<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even though the northern lights are always present, they are not always visible. Sightings require dark, clear skies and that is why you can\u2019t see them in summer.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> In Iceland, the northern lights season is between September and the beginning of April, as the sky is too bright during the rest of the year. If you\u2019re trying to see the northern lights via cruise, a late-August to September <\/span>Northern Europe cruise<\/span><\/a> is your best bet, though there are never guarantees.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Check out the <\/span>14-day Northern Isles<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>25-day Northern Isles & Iberian Adventure<\/span><\/a> itineraries that leave in mid-August.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even if you don\u2019t see the northern lights, a <\/span>cruise to Iceland<\/span><\/a> delivers otherworldly terrain, Viking history and the ultimate spa day at the <\/span>Blue Lagoon<\/span><\/a>. Summer cruises experience the midnight sun, another phenomenon unique to the Arctic and Antarctic.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Galileo coined the term <\/span>aurora borealis <\/span><\/i>in 1619, aurora meaning goddess of the dawn and borealis for Greek god of the North Wind. He figured that the dancing lights were caused by the sunlight reflecting off the atmosphere. Today, we know that charged solar particles reacting to the earth\u2019s atmosphere cause the aurora, but they still maintain their mythical quality.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During long winter nights in the frozen north, storytelling was a primary means of entertainment. In parts of <\/span>Scandinavia<\/span><\/a>, the northern lights signify good fishing to come as the fishermen believed they were light reflecting off schools of live herring. In Finland, they are fire foxes, running across the sky with flaming tails.\u00a0In Iceland, they are thought to be spirits. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIceland\u2019s <\/span>Northern Lights Season <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
The Northern Lights in Folklore\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u00a0<\/span>Northern Lights Viewing Tips<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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