Northern Lights and Stargazing

Description

Northern Lights & Stargazing in a small group
We pick you up and whisk you away from the city lights to where we predict the best sightings according to weather forecast. We always aim to get off the beaten path and away from the crowds to enjoy the Northern Lights in serenity. At our chosen spot, while waiting for the lights, we use our powerful stargazing telescope to explore crude details of the planets in our solar system, their moons and deep space phenomena light years away.*

Your Chances of Seeing the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and displays can never be guaranteed. For a sighting we need three things to come together: solar storm, darkness and a clear sky. Overall, on any given night during dark hours in Iceland, your chances are about 50/50. We maximise this chance by going out when auroral activity and cloud cover forecasts are favourable. Our sighting rate is 90%.

Tour Schedule

• 18:30: We make our Go/NoGo decision based on the last weather forecast for the evening. If we need to cancel due to weather we send you an e-mail.
• 20:00-20:30 (Oct-March) 21:00-21:30 (Sept & April): Pick up.
• We drive to where conditions are predicted best.
• At location; assess the conditions, stay or move on.
• While waiting, we explore the sky through telescope.*
• If the lights do show up, we take photos of you under the glow.
• Once you are nearing frostbite, we serve hot chocolate and Kleina.
• We stay out until midnight, if no lights are seen we extend 30-60 minutes.
• The drive back to Reykjavík is normally 30-45 minutes.

Tour time: 3-5 hours
Group size: min 2, max 14
Pick up time: October – March: 20.00 – 20.30, September & April: 21.00 – 21.30
Destination: Our final destination is dictated by weather and where sightings are most likely.
Included: Pick-up, driver/guided tour, stargazing*, hot chocolate & kleina, photos.
Recommended clothing: You should dress prepared to be standing outside in the cold for a long time. Woollen undergarments. Warm, thick sweater (fleece or wool). Thick winter coat and trousers (ski outfit perhaps). Winter boots and thick woollen socks. Warm hat and thick mittens. Bring heat-pads if possible.
Photography: We take photos of everyone for free. We can assist with which settings to choose on your camera but you need to be comfortable with your buttons and menu.

Optional extras
Rental tripod: check that your camera has a tripod mount option.
Warmer pads: provide external warmth for 5 to 8 hours.

*Please note: The Northern Lights, or their magnitude, can never be guaranteed. Stargazing conditions depend on several factors like cloudiness, humidity and wind. Objects visible on the night sky depend on Earths position in its orbit around the Sun.