The northern lights, or aurora borealis, offer an amazing display that fascinates all who see it. For millennia, the northern lights have been the source of speculation and superstition. Many classic philosophers, authors and astronomers, including Aristotle, Descartes, Goethe and Halley, refer to the northern lights in their work. As early as 1616, the astronomer Galileo Galilei used the name aurora borealis to describe them, taking the name of the mythical Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for wind of the north, Boreas. The aurora australis, or the southern lights, occur around the south polar region. But, since the South Pole is even more inhospitable than the North Pole, it is often trickier to view the southern lights.
Alaska, northern Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland offer excellent vantage points. During periods of particularly active solar flares, the lights can be seen as far south as the top of Scotland and even northern England. We prefer Tromsø that is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. Tromsø lies in Northern Norway and is the 9th most populous municipality in Norway. 69° 40′ 0″ N, 18° 58′ 0″ E (69.666667°N, 18.966667°E).