Shine on aurora 2013–2014
With NASA predicting that displays of the aurora borealis will peak again this winter, now is the time to start planning your Discover the World northern lights holiday.
According to NASA scientists the future is bright for aurora hunters. The peak of the 11-year sunspot cycle – catalyst of the northern lights – was meant to be in 2013, but it no longer seems so straightforward. “We may be seeing what happens when you predict a single amplitude and the sun responds with a double peak,” says solar physicist Dean Pesnell.
Pesnell points out similarities between Solar Cycle 24, underway now, and Solar Cycle 14, which had a double-peak during the early 20th century. If our current cycle follows the same pattern, “it would mean one peak in late 2013 and another in 2015.”
No one – not even NASA – knows for certain what the sun will do next, but it does seems likely that the end of 2013 could be a lot livelier than the beginning. What is certain is that demand for northern lights holidays will be high this year. Be sure to book early for a chance to witness this incredible phenomenon.
Find out more about our northern lights holidays
Page 4 - Cloud9 Travel Magazine - May 2013 Edition - Discover the World
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