Most Americans believe they need to travel to some far-off destination to witness the majestic Northern Lights. Think again.
While Northern European countries, such as Iceland and Norway, are famous for their frequently lit-up night sky by the dancing light display, it turns out there are some prime viewing destinations in the United States – no international flight needed.
Caused by Earth's magnetic field interacting with the sun's plasma, the aurora borealis is constantly present, but not always visible to our eyes due to factors such as light pollution, the geomagnetic K-index and moon brightness. When conditions line up in a certain way, the natural phenomenon can be a spectacle for the eyes.
"There are a number of conditions that have to be just right in order for the aurora borealis to make an appearance," said Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, the director of global marketing at Icelandair, in a statement. "Traveling to Iceland in winter is therefore our first tip for photographing the northern lights."
But for travelers who can't make the overseas trip, Icelandair recently set out to find the best underrated U.S. destinations to see the Northern Lights. In August, the Iceland-based carrier analyzed domestic spots known for aurora borealis sightings against TikTok hashtags to measure popularity, with those that have fewer mentions being considered lesser-known.
