To see the lights you need a very clear dark sky away from the city lights. A severe solar storm hit two days prior to us leaving for Iceland. We were just two days short of being able to view the Northern Lights without having to leave the city of Reykjavik. Each morning, hotels in Iceland will predict your chances of seeing the lights that night using a scale from 1 to 9. We were rated at a 3 the night we attempted to see the lights. I'll be the first to admit that I was a pessimist. I thought we were going on "a wild goose chase." I thought our chances of seeing the lights were so slim that I decided not to pack a tripod (big mistake). Our tour bus picked us up at 9:30 pm and we headed south over an hour in search of clear skies. Much to my surprise, the minute we stepped off the bus we could see the lights. Below are my pictures taken without a tripod. Our tour guide helped everyone with the settings on their cameras although he did warn us that without a tripod we wouldn't get a clear picture. On the other hand, our bus driver encouraged everyone to put away their cameras and just enjoy the light show.
The next two pictures were taken by our tour guide using a tripod. You can see what a difference a tripod can make.
I can't find many words to describe the Northern Lights other than they were truly AMAZING! Darin and I feel so fortunate to have seen them. Our young hotel desk clerk told us how discouraged he feels when guests re-book night after night and end up having to leave Iceland without seeing the lights. I still can't believe that we lucked out and were able to see the lights on our first try.
Next post - the Blue Lagoon
