Photo: Joshua Strang, USAF

The northern lights or aurora borealis have fascinated many for thousands of years. A naturally occurring phenomenon, the lights appear as solar wind particles collide with air molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, and emit excess energy as light. The winter months provide the best conditions to see them in the northern regions of Iceland, Canada, Finland, Sweden and Norway. You’re not always guaranteed to see them, but on a clear evening, far away from natural lights, and as far north as possible, you could witness this incredible display of nature. These are the beautiful Northern Lights in Pictures:

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Where to stay

• Sweden: Icehotel – Built entirely from snow and ice, a stylish hotel north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland
• Iceland: Hotel Rangá – A member of the Special Hotels Of The World, a luxury resort 1hr from Reykjavik
• Finland: Holiday Club Hotel Saariselka – The northernmost spa hotel in Europe
• Canada: Explorer Hotel – In northwest Canada, 500km from the Arctic Circle

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