Since travel is on hold indefinitely, you might have to wait a little longer to check “witnessing the northern lights” off your bucket list. Nothing beats seeing the phenomenon in person, and watching them on a TV or computer screen is certainly not the same, but since you probably won’t be venturing to the Arctic this April — therefore missing the end of northern lights season — watching a livestream will just have to do.
Charged particles from the solar wind collide with Earth's magnetosphere, reacting in complex patterns that produce whorls and curtains of incredible color. During certain geomagnetic events, you may be able to see the Northern Lights as far south as Washington, DC, but the wild coast of southwestern Iceland makes for an idyllic backdrop any night of the year.
Photo: davidmarxphoto/Shutterstock
Livestream the Northern Lights To Stay Connected With the Outdoors During Self-Isolation
Every night, Polar Bears International and Explore.org are streaming the night sky from the Churchill Northern Studies Centre in Manitoba, Canada.
“In the current situation,” said BJ Kirschhoffer, director of field operations with Polar Bears International, to Thrillist, “where people are encouraged or even forced to stay at home because of COVID-19, I think the aurora camera and the other explore cams offer people a taste of nature where they may not otherwise have the opportunity.” 