Butt, M. J. Estimation of light pollution using satellite remote sensing and geographic information system techniques. GISci. Remote Sens. 49, 609–621 (2012). January and February are bitterly cold in the Arctic regions, which can mean clearer skies. So for those determined to catch the northern lights, this is a good time to visit. Aurora activity is always unpredictable until very close to the date, but one of the advantages of going during this time of year is the opportunity to do snow-based activities such as skiing and dogsledding. November and December give long, dark winter nights that create a perfect opportunity to see the northern lights. In the Arctic Circle, there may be significant amounts of snowfall around this time of year, which inevitably means some periods of cloud cover. Skiing in Finnish Lapland (Alamy) When is the solar maximum? Ghosh, T. et al. Shedding light on the global distribution of economic activity. Open Geog. J. 3, 148–161 (2010).

In general, northern lights are visible between late August and mid-April in Iceland. But that also depends on several other factors. For the best time to go to Iceland for the northern lights, it’s best to aim for the weeks around the winter solstice. Can You See the Northern Lights in Reykjavik? Sidelights (the four low-wattage lights found in the corners of your car) also have a secondary purpose – as parking lights. The Highway Code says that all vehicles must display parking lights or sidelights when parked on a road (or lay-by) with a speed limit of more than 30mph. They can be left on for long periods of time when you leave your car and shouldn’t drain your battery. The Highway Code also recommends switching on your parking lights if your car, for unavoidable reasons, is parked on any road in fog. Number plate light

Useful pages

Li, X.; Chen, F.; Chen, X. Satellite-Observed Nighttime Light Variation as Evidence for Global Armed Conflicts. IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Obs. Remote Sens. 2013, 6, 2302–2315. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef] Li, Q.; Lu, L.; Weng, Q.; Xie, Y.; Guo, H. Monitoring Urban Dynamics in the Southeast U.S.A. Using Time-Series DMSP/OLS Nightlight Imagery. Remote Sens. 2016, 8, 578. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef][ Green Version]

Li, X.; Liu, S.; Jendryke, M.; Li, D.; Wu, C. Night-Time Light Dynamics during the Iraqi Civil War. Remote Sens. 2018, 10, 858. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef]You can see the aurora borealis in Iceland whenever the sky is dark. Therefore, in December, they may be visible from three in the afternoon until nine in the morning. However, due to the Earth’s rotation, atmosphere, and magnetosphere relative to Iceland’s position on the globe, they are most likely to be seen between 10 PM and12 AM.