In early April 2026, I traveled to Lapland in northern Finland, spending five nights in the charming Arctic city of Rovaniemi. I was fortunate to experience three perfectly clear nights, each one offering a glimpse of the northern lights dancing across the sky. Although solar activity was relatively low during my stay, the seasonal “equinox effect” worked in my favor, enhancing geomagnetic conditions and allowing for surprisingly vivid auroral displays.
All photographs featured here were taken across three different locations. One was near the Arktikum museum, just a short distance from Rovaniemi’s city center. Despite its proximity to urban light, the northern horizon remained dark enough to reveal the aurora. The other two locations were roughly an hour’s drive away, offering significantly darker skies and ideal conditions for capturing the full beauty of the phenomenon.
At this time of year, Lapland no longer experiences complete nighttime darkness. Instead, a soft twilight lingers along the horizon throughout the night. Even so, the level of darkness during astronomical twilight is more than sufficient to observe and photograph the northern lights, creating a unique and atmospheric backdrop for the experience.
