Have you ever wondered what these "lights" really are? I never put a lot of thought into it until I listened to a presentation by a photographer who was taking a group to Norway. Not being a scientist, the discussions around solar flares, magnetic fields, electrons and who knows what else could have made my brain go blurry. I appreciated his simple presentation in layman's terms, and found all of it to be quite fascinating. I'm certain you will too.
Photo courtesy of Kakslauttanen Simply put, the Aurora Borealis and Australis are the Northern and Southern Lights. These mesmerizing, beautiful green, blue, red and purple lights that flash over the polar skies. As we move into the winter months, they become more and more visible in the polar regions.
Have you ever wondered what these "lights" really are? I never put a lot of thought into it until I listened to a presentation by a photographer who was taking a group to Norway. Not being a scientist, the discussions around solar flares, magnetic fields, electrons and who knows what else could have made my brain go blurry. I appreciated his simple presentation in layman's terms, and found all of it to be quite fascinating. I'm certain you will too.
I saw puffins for the first time in Alaska. Beautiful, colorful, adorable, funny little creatures.
We were cruising along the Kenai Peninsula, near the Fjords National Park, when we came across a fairly large breeding colony. Thousands of birds sitting on the cliffs, floating on the water, flying with their short wings flapping crazy fast. Their "crash" landings were quite funny (especially after learning they don't hurt themselves!). Quite a memorable moment. What surprised me the most about these birds? ![]() I'm not sure exactly why I am so fascinated by the polar regions. Maybe it's the beauty of the mountains, snow, fjords, glaciers and icebergs. Having flown over/near the arctic circle a number of times on my way home from Europe, I always wondered what these islands below looked like at sea level. It could also be the allure of the polar bears. I'm not alone in having an interest in the arctic, seeing how tourism to the region has really grown over the past several years. One area that has been attracting a lot of interest these days is Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago located about 800 miles south of the Arctic circle, and more specifically, the island of Spitsbergen. ![]() There are many reasons to visit Norway: Follow the footsteps of the Vikings, see the sunrise at midnight, experience the Northern Lights, spot polar bears. The crime rate is low and the UN has even rated Norway as one of happiest places in the world. All these reasons make Norway a top destination, but in my opinion, the #1 attraction are the fjords. Norway boasts the highest concentration of fjords in the world, with more than 1000 fjords that can be explored. 1000 more reasons to visit this most beautiful country. |
Laurie Marschall
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