--- title: "Aurora Borealis Explained | Boreal Yachting Journal" description: "The aurora borealis is caused by charged particles from the sun striking gases in the upper atmosphere. Green comes from oxygen at around 100 to 300 kilometre" lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://boreal-yachting.com/#organization", "name": "Boreal Yachting", "url": "https://boreal-yachting.com", "logo": "https://boreal-yachting.com/logo.png", "image": "https://boreal-yachting.com/logo.png", "description": "Premium Arctic sailing in Northern Norway and Svalbard. Whole-boat expeditions and charters from Tromsø since 2003.", "foundingDate": "2003", "email": "post@boreal-yachting.com", "telephone": "+4777729200", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Tromsø", "addressCountry": "NO" }, "memberOf": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO)", "url": "https://www.aeco.no" }, "sameAs": [ "https://facebook.com/borealyachting", "https://youtube.com/@borealyachting" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://boreal-yachting.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Journal", "item": "https://boreal-yachting.com/journal" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arctic knowledge", "item": "https://boreal-yachting.com/journal/arctic-knowledge" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Aurora borealis: how the northern lights form", "item": "https://boreal-yachting.com/journal/aurora-borealis" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Aurora borealis: how the northern lights form", "description": "The aurora borealis is caused by charged particles from the sun striking gases in the upper atmosphere. Green comes from oxygen at around 100 to 300 kilometres. Tromsø sits under the auroral oval at 69.6°N, and the viewing season runs from late September to late March.", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://boreal-yachting.com/journal/aurora-borealis" }, "url": "https://boreal-yachting.com/journal/aurora-borealis", "image": "https://boreal-yachting.com/assets/whalesafari-aurora-Cwkl25hP.jpg", "articleSection": "Arctic knowledge", "wordCount": 244, "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Boreal Yachting crew", "url": "https://boreal-yachting.com/about/crew" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://boreal-yachting.com/#organization" } } ] --- [Skip to content](#main-content) [Boreal Yachting ](/) [Experiences](/experiences) [Destinations](/destinations) [Our Fleet](/fleet) [About Us](/about) [Journal](/journal) [For Partners](/partners) [Plan your journey](/plan-your-journey) 1. [Home](/) 2. / [Journal](/journal) 3. / Aurora Borealis [Arctic knowledge](/journal/arctic-knowledge) # Aurora borealis: how the northern lights form By [Boreal Yachting crew](/about/crew), Skippers and guides, Tromsø Publication date not available The aurora borealis is caused by charged particles from the sun striking gases in the upper atmosphere. Green comes from oxygen at around 100 to 300 kilometres. Tromsø sits under the auroral oval at 69.6°N, and the viewing season runs from late September to late March. ![Aurora borealis: how the northern lights form](/generated-images/whalesafari-aurora-1440.webp) Aurora borealis: how the northern lights form. Each appearance of the northern lights is different — flickering curtains, rolling smoke, or a sudden corona overhead. The best viewing runs from September to March, when the Arctic night provides a dark sky. Tromsø sits in the middle of the aurora zone, with the lights visible on about two of every three clear nights during the season. The aurora borealis is caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with gases in Earth's atmosphere. The characteristic green colour comes from oxygen atoms at around 100km altitude; red aurora occurs at higher altitudes, while nitrogen produces purple and blue hues. Tromsø's location at 69°N places it directly under the auroral oval, the ring-shaped zone around the magnetic North Pole where aurora activity is most frequent. Viewing the aurora from a yacht, anchored in a dark fjord away from town lighting, gives an unobstructed view stretching from horizon to horizon. Calm water reflects the display, and there is little ambient noise. Photography tips: use a tripod, set ISO to 1600–3200, aperture to the widest available (f/2.8 or wider), and exposure time to 5–15 seconds. Manual focus set to infinity is essential. Modern smartphones with night mode can also capture good aurora images. The best aurora forecasts combine solar wind data with local weather forecasts. Our crew monitors both and will wake guests if a strong display occurs during the night. Some of the strongest auroras happen after midnight, when the magnetic field is best aligned. Related experience: [Northern Lights Sailing](/experiences/northern-lights-sailing). Where this sails: [Sailing Tromsø](/destinations/tromso). About the author ## Boreal Yachting crew Skippers and guides, Tromsø Written by the Boreal Yachting editorial team using operational knowledge from the skippers and guides who sail Northern Norway and Svalbard. [Meet the crew](/about/crew) ## Read next [ ### Svalbard sailing: glaciers and polar bears A Svalbard sailing expedition runs from Longyearbyen between June and September, when the fjords are largely ice-free and the sun does not set until late August. Voyages of one to two weeks reach tidewater glaciers, walrus haul-outs and bird cliffs, under Sysselmesteren regulations and AECO guidelines. ](/journal/svalbard-expedition)[ ### Northern lights sailing: an aurora photo safari Northern lights sailing means using the boat to move away from town lights and cloud. Tromsø lies at 69.6°N, under the auroral oval, and the season runs from late September to late March. A boat can shift anchorage overnight to find the clearest sky. ](/journal/northern-lights-sailing) [All writing in the Journal](/journal) ## Start planning your Arctic journey. Tell us what you have in mind. We will come back to you within two working days with a considered answer — not a template. [Plan your journey](/plan-your-journey)[Speak to us directly](/contact) Boreal Yachting Premium Arctic sailing in Northern Norway and Svalbard. Sailing these waters since 2003. [![AECO member — Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators](/assets/aeco-member-Crcpxqbv.svg)](https://www.aeco.no)[![Eco-Lighthouse certified — Miljøfyrtårn programme](/assets/eco-lighthouse-CNcwtWaN.png)](https://www.miljofyrtarn.no/en/) ## Experiences - [Ski & Sail Norway](/experiences/ski-and-sail-norway) - [Ski & Sail Svalbard](/experiences/ski-and-sail-svalbard) - [Svalbard Expeditions](/experiences/svalbard-expeditions) - [Private charter](/experiences/private-charter) - [Group charter](/experiences/group-charter) - [Bareboat charter](/experiences/bareboat-charter) ## Destinations - [Tromsø](/destinations/tromso) - [Lyngen Alps](/destinations/lyngen-alps) - [Lofoten](/destinations/lofoten) - [Svalbard](/destinations/svalbard) - [Senja](/destinations/senja) - [Vesterålen](/destinations/vesteralen) ## Company - [About us](/about) - [Our crew](/about/crew) - [Safety](/about/safety) - [Sustainability](/about/sustainability) - [Company facts](/about/facts) - [Journal](/journal) - [For partners](/partners) - [Contact](/contact) Boreal Yachting AS · Tromsø, Norway · [post@boreal-yachting.com](mailto:post@boreal-yachting.com) · [+47 77 72 92 00](tel:+4777729200) - [Facebook](https://facebook.com/borealyachting) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@borealyachting) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/borealyachting) © 2026 Boreal Yachting AS - [Privacy](/privacy) - [Terms](/terms) - [Booking conditions](/booking-conditions) Cookies on this site We use essential cookies to run the site. Analytics cookies stay off unless you accept them. You can change your choice at any time. Essential onlyAccept analytics