Thought the UK auroras were good?

Jan. 25, 2012 - PRLog -- The weekend of 21-22 January 2012 saw an extraordinary level of geophysical activity in the Earth’s atmosphere, with the Aurora Borealis glimpsed as far south as the UK and Ireland - but can the British Isles ever really compete with the light shows in Finnish Lapland?

Says Alistair McLean, MD of specialist Northern Lights company The Aurora Zone - a veteran Northern Lights hunter who’s currently in Muonio: “Last night I saw one of the best auroras in living memory and we haven't even reached the Solar Maximum, which happens next winter.”

With almost zero light pollution (unlike our highly-populated cities), the tiny town of Muonio, Finland (pictured above) is one of the best places to witness the Northern Lights.  The Aurora Zone offers Aurora hunting tours (hunting being a new concept launched by the specialist company only this season) to nearby Harriniva that use geophysical forecasts and local Lappish knowledge to pinpoint exactly where the best Aurora-spotting places are likely to be on a night-by-night basis.  Clients are taken by  snowmobile, husky sled and terrain-equipped heated minibus to ensure the best opportunity to see the Borealis.  Says McLean:  “Most companies place their clients in one location.  If there’s cloud cover, that reduces the chance of seeing the Lights considerably.  We have two ways of tackling this potential problem – firstly, to select locations with minimal light pollution and, secondly, to go out actively hunting the Northern Lights by travelling away from any cloud cover.  It can mean late nights skidooing across the frozen countryside, but it gives a far better chance of seeing the Lights.”

A four-night Aurora Quest in Harriniva and Muonio with snowmobiling, husky-sledding, minibus excursions and a visit to a reindeer farm costs from £1,445 pp (two sharing), including flights (Heathrow), transfers, B&B accommodation, Nordic activities, most other meals and warm winter clothing for the duration of the stay.

A four-night Aurora photography course in Harriniva and Muonio with photographer Antti Pietikäinen costs from £1,995 pp (two sharing), including flights (Heathrow), transfers, B&B accommodation, Nordic activities, most other meals and warm winter clothing for the duration of the stay.

A full list of Aurora hunting tours and itineraries is available at http://www.theaurorazone.com, which offers a ‘live chat’ option to discuss itineraries with an expert. For further information, please call The Aurora Zone on 01670 785 012.

ENDS – 25 January 2012

Note to editors:
The Aurora Zone is a brand-new holiday concept from Activities Abroad. The company has been offering Arctic tours to see the Northern Lights for eight years, a field in which it has a great deal of experience.  The Aurora Zone has been created to highlight the new hunting concept and to promote the fact that the next few winters may offer the greatest opportunity to see the Northern Lights until 2030.

For press enquiries or photography, contact Anthony Sebastian or Richard Mellor, Travel PR, tel: 020 8891 4440, email: a.sebastian@travelpr.co.uk or r.mellor@travelpr.co.uk.

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