What's on your mind before you go?

Murmansk lies above the Arctic Circle and is Russia's easiest place to see the aurora.

• Season: roughly late September to late March, when nights are dark enough. From mid-November to around mid-January is the polar night, with the most hours of darkness.
• Best hours: usually around 21:00 – 02:00, but it can appear any time it's dark.
• Conditions: clear skies matter most. At this latitude a Kp index of about 2–3 can be enough; higher Kp means brighter displays.
• Where: get 20–40 km away from city lights, or stay overnight in Teriberka on the Barents Sea. An evening aurora tour helps: transport plus a guide who tracks clouds and forecasts and moves spots if needed.
• Stay 3–4 nights to improve your chances, as some nights are fully cloudy.
• Apps: aurora forecast apps (such as Aurora) plus a cloud forecast.
• Photos: use a tripod and night mode or 5–15 second exposures; phone batteries drain fast in the cold, so keep them in an inner pocket.

Note: sightings are never guaranteed; treat them as a bonus of an Arctic trip.