Rainbows at Midnight

“Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” -Lawrence Block

I travelled to Reykjavik for my birthday last Fall. My goal for this adventure was to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). However, I was not completely knowledgeable of all the factors required to make this goal come to fruition.

Initially, the plan was to try to glimpse the lights from the area around my hotel. I stayed at Hotel Vellir, about 15 min outside of Reykjavik in an area still undergoing new construction. That meant wide open spaces, limited city lights – hopefully optimal conditions to see the lights.

The weekend of my arrival, individuals had seen the lights clearly each night, simply looking out their hotel window or standing in the hotel lobby. By the time I arrived however, there was rain and the night sky was too overcast to view any activity. Additionally, it wasn’t until I booked a tour package that I learned the vibrant colors of the lights you typically see in photos are just that – needing to be captured by a camera lens. While the human eye can see the lights, they appear as a faint glow shimmering across the sky. It was only when I took a picture that I could see the vivid greens as was their color in my case.

So a little about the tour and why this post is called “Rainbows at Midnight”…

Unfortunately, weather conditions were prohibitive for most of my trip and I ended up booking a Northern Lights tour package through Gray Line Tours in a last ditch attempt to see the Lights before I returned home. The package involved a coach bus, guided tour that took you around to a few optimal locations to see the lights. The tour began at 9pm and was scheduled to last until 1am. There was a full moon that night, the night sky was still slightly overcast and our first stop was unsuccessful. At our second stop we waited on the bus as the tour guides checked their apps for any geomagnetic activity. (There are several apps you can download to track activity and optimal weather conditions for the lights. Additionally, there are a couple of simple phone camera apps you can use to capture the lights – I used the NorthernLights app which cost $2.99).

Finally, after what seemed like waiting forever the guide informed the bus that the clouds were clearing and we should be able to see the lights. Everyone got off the bus and looked up at the sky awaiting the lights. The Lights kind of look like a faintly colored glow dancing across the sky. It wasn’t until I took a photo that I saw how vibrant they truly were.

So yes, I got to see the Northern Lights, even though our guide explained they were better in different weather. Before the Lights arrived I got to witness something just as fascinating- a Moonbow- a rainbow at night.