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Northern Exposure

Hunting the Northern Lights in Finland

None 6 Photos The Aurora Zone
It’s coming right for us.

A perfect storm of solar radiation.

So powerful, it knocks out entire energy grids.

So beautiful, it reduces grown men to tears.

So rare, you’re only left with one real option:

Hopping a plane and grabbing a front-row seat...

Introducing The Aurora Zone, a once-in-a-lifetime sky-tracking mission to Finland, the best place on earth for watching the northern lights, embarking this March.

Picture a Finnish version of Twister, with the aurora borealis standing in for the mighty tornado, and a grizzled Nordic guide for Bill Paxton. He’ll lead you by snowshoe, snowmobile, husky team or reindeer entourage across frozen lakes and barren landscapes in search of prime spots to catch the show—green, red and yellow ribbons of light shimmering across the night sky, at their strongest since 1859. (Great year for lights.)

The game plan: you’ll be handed a late-’90s-model flip phone upon arrival. When the aurora approaches, you’ll receive a text. We can’t say when or where you’ll get it—perhaps while chomping on a moose burger in your tent, or while relaxing inside your private sauna back at the chalet. But the moment scientists at Sodankylä observatory detect the aurora approaching, they’ll send word of its coordinates.

You’ve always wanted to say “It’s go time” after getting word from a scientist.

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