2012 set to be a great year for the Northern Lights

A tour guide who specialises in showing people the wonders of the Northern Lights believes 2012 could be a vintage year for the natural phenomenon.

Speaking to SpaceWeather.com, Andy Keen suggested that he has already experienced an amazing show in Finland this year and he is predicting even more spectacular sightings.

Mr Keen said the latest aurora show on January 16th - which lasted for more than two and a half hours - was the best he has encountered in more than 5,000 hours of following the amazing lights.

With the sun reaching its 11-year peak, it is likely that the extra solar activity will result in more frequent sightings this year and Mr Keen is extremely excited at the prospect.

"If this is a sign of things to come as Solar Maximum approaches, then all I can say is that we're all in for a real treat over the coming months and years," he was reported as saying.

Northern Scandinavia and Iceland and Alaska are under the 'Auroral Oval' making them great places to see the Aurora Borealis at their finest. Explorers Astronomy Tours have Northern Lights trips to Iceland in February and March 2012 which have proved phenomenally popular. In 2013 we will extend our programme to include a tour to Alaska.