Prime Time for Observing Northern Lights in Iceland in 2020

Iceland was on my bucket list for a very long time and seeing Northern Lights was something I have never dared to dream about. When we bought the plane tickets for going to Iceland I felt that one of my dreams come true.

Update 2020: It looks like this year is going to have some good solar activity, which means there will be high chances of seeing Aurora Iceland during 2020. Pack your bags and plan ahead to see this amazing phenomenon.

I highly recommend you before buying the plane tickets to search for the best time to see Northern Lights in Iceland 2020.

But first, let’s start with some very important things which happen in order to see the Green Lady dancing in the sky.

 

Darkness

First of all, it needs to be dark outside. So, as you probably guess, summer is the worst period for seeing Northern Lights because the days are really long and the sun is up in the sky for more than 20 hours.

Spring and autumn still have many hours of light, but not as summer. And winter…it is almost 24 hours of dark. That is why the best time to see Northern Lights in Iceland is from September to April.

Cloudless and best time to see Northern lights in Iceland 2020

Dark is an important condition which has to be fulfilled in order to see Aurora Borealis, but it is not enough. In order to spot this unique phenomenon, the sky has to be clear, with no clouds.

Even if winter appears to be the best time to see Northern Lights in Iceland as it is the darkest period of the year, the days are usually cloudy so it might impossible to spot Aurora Borealis because of the cloud.

Analyzing from darkness and cloud perspective, the best time for Northern Lights is autumn and spring.

But there is another condition, I would say the most important one: solar activity.

Solar activity and best time to see Northern lights in Iceland 2020

According to the studies made, around equinox is the highest solar activity. And suddenly, because of that, the best time to see Aurora Borealis are the second part of September and the first part of October as well as the second part of March and the first part of April.

The spectacle from the sky is amazing and worth spending a night outside, in the wild just to photograph and admire the show!

Now that you know that the best time to see Northern Lights in Iceland is late September to early October and late March to early April, let’s see which are the best places to see Northern Lights in Iceland in 2020.

The closer you get to the North Pole, the more intense would be the lights. That is why the north part of Iceland is better to see the Northern Lights.

We recommend you to rent a car and chase Aurora Borealis. You will have the freedom and the mobility needed to get the best Aurora Borealis shot.

Get the best price for your car rental today

With a car rented, a little luck and knowing the best time to see Northern Lights in Iceland 2020 you will get some memorable moments! I am sure!