Enjoy traveling to places that contain some degree of mysteriousness? If you are someone who enjoys natural phenomena, then you probably already know that there are quite a few places on the planet that contain lots of interesting phenomena for you to explore. From the very strange to the potentially bizarre to the quite fascinating, travel trips based on mystery can definitely make for some of the most interesting trips. The Northern Lights are a natural and unpredictable phenomenon that are a definite must see for those who love exploring areas of mystery.

About St Elmo’s Fire

St. Elmo’s Fire is a weather phenomenon created by gaps in discharges of atmospheric electricity, and can occur anywhere and anytime during a thunderstorm. While this phenomenon is often compared to lightning because it looks similar, it’s not. The colors included in the ‘fire’ show include bright pink and bright purple glows and are a sight to see. These spectacular colors provide quite the show by providing viewers with the overall appearance of a fire, which is directly due to the way the fire displays itself by jetting the colors up and into the air. These ‘fires’ can often be seen when viewing the Northern Lights.

The name – St. Elmo’s Fire – is derived from the patron saint of sailors, Erasmus of Formiae. Because this weather phenomenon could sometimes be seen by sailors on ships during thunderstorms, many of those sailing the seas during a thunderstorm believed it came with a religious meaning.

Where to see the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights refers to a spectacular display of colored lights in the night sky. These lights are created when charged particles are hit with solar winds, causing these particles to reflect colors of light. Also known as the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights are located in the polar zone, near the North Pole. These lights therefore appear on the northern horizon, providing viewers with a faint yet impressive reddish glow of colors, similar to that of a sunrise. Other colors include green, blue and purple. The Northern Lights are most likely to appear during March, April, September, and October.

Where can the Northern Lights best be seen? Some of the more popular destinations travelers will go to get the best views include Canada, Alaska, and Northern Europe. While rare, they can occasionally be seen from northern US states, like Washington, Maine and Minnesota. The night skies will need to be both clear and dark in order for the lights to be visible, which are most predominate between the hours of the 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM.

Jody’s Travel Inc