Northern Lights mania

So in nearly nine years in Aberdeen, ‘the home of the Aurora Borealis’ I never saw them once but now in my little rock at the top of Europe and across the continent there is Northern Lights mania.

OK, so I was messing in science in school so don’t really follow any of the reasons for this phenomenon.

But here goes… the arrival of a Coronal Mass Ejections from the sun can cause the annulus to expand, bringing the aurora to lower latitudes.

That Aberdeen has dined out on the boast of being ‘the home of the Aurora Borealis’ is mainly due to the salesmanship of concert pianist Mary Hall.

A Brummie no less, who never set foot in the Granite City, but who wrote the song with her husband Mel for a homesick Aberdonian, Winnie Forgie, who they befriended.

Heavenly dancers

The ‘Heavenly Dancers’ as they are known in these parts were once again celebrated when Local Hero, a Burt Lancaster movie mostly set in Aberdeenshire, just up the coast became a cult hit in the 80s.

The story being that an oil baron switched his plans to pump the North Sea for fuel in favour of building an observatory after falling in love with the area.

Those who have seen the Northern Lights say that it’ll do that to you.

Of course, while people up and down the country and across Europe are claiming to have seen the Northern Lights from their back gardens the best place to view them is in remote areas.

And in spots unaffected by street lighting.

Now while we bask on this British island and wherever you live Dark Skies resorts cater for us at other times of the year.

Tenerife star trekking

Now you’ll have seen the Tenerfenos protesting the overtourism on their island but that’s mainly in the southern hotspots.

The real jewels on the Canarian island are in the interior, the west coast and the volcanic peak in the north that is Mount Teide.

Europe’s most visited national park there is still plenty of space for us all to trek.

And as for stars, you’ll get an unspoiled view too of the milky way and Saturn’s rings from the top of Tenerife.

Night out with stars in the States

Now when you think of a night out with the stars in the States you immediately think of Hollywood.

And yes, that was one takeaway from a week in LA LA Land.

But while there at the American Travel Fair, IPW, I was introduced to a wider galaxy of stars.

Utah really is more about the Milky Way than the Mormons with the highest concentration of International Dark-Sky Association-certified areas.

The Salt Lake State boasts 26 International Dark Sky Places within the state.

That accounts for 13% of the 200 locations around the globe formally recognized by DarkSky International.

Utah is also home to the first international Dark Sky Park, Natural Bridges National Monument.

Jordan jewels and Moroccan marvels

Of course, the desert is always a go-to for reaching for the skies.

And Wadi Rum in Jordan is designated an international Dark Sky Reserve.

Which means that you can spot stars that are over 100 times dimmer in Jordan than in your home town.

While if you find yourself inconvenienced in the Moroccan part of the Sahara Desert then what else is there to do?

Than watch the cycle of the night and day and shooting stars in Fezland while you’re shitting stars.

MEET YOU IN THE SKIES