Where are the northern lights best seen?

The aurora borealis appears most often in a ring-shaped band around the magnetic north pole, roughly between 65 and 72 degrees north. Prime viewing spots include Tromso in Norway, Abisko in Sweden, Rovaniemi in Finland, Iceland, northern Canada, and Alaska. The best displays come on dark, clear nights far from city lights, usually in the autumn and winter months. Solar activity strengthens the lights, so strong solar storms can push the aurora to lower latitudes. The lights are caused by charged particles from the Sun striking gases in the upper atmosphere.