Lights fantastic

Norway’s Northern Lights are a trip to the lights fantastic
BY MARALYN MATLICK
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A thin white ribbon forms overhead and arches across the sky, then melts into a ghostly swirl and explodes into a rippling emerald curtain of light.

The evening’s Northern Lights show had begun.

Here, near the rooftop of the world, the sun is an elusive host from November through January. The aurora borealis is the ethereal substitute sent to dazzle in its absence.

…We chose Tromso, a city of roughly 65,000 people, because it is about 200 miles above the Arctic Circle and is considered one of the best places to view the lights in winter. Cloudy nights or moonlit skies, however, can hide the brilliant bands, so any trip has to factor that in.

Tromso boasts both the world’s northernmost university and brewery, in addition to being the home of the Norwegian Polar Institute, which draws scientists and students from around the world. The end here of the Gulf Stream keeps the region relatively warm, with winter temperatures typically around 20 degrees. But beware the Arctic wind.

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