This surreal spectacle is one of the most coveted bucket list experiences out there. The mesmerising display appears when charged particles, which flow from the sun at 1.4 million km/h, hit the Earth’s magnetic field at the planet’s poles. The effect of these curtains of light is heightened by solar storms. There's never been a better time to view the mysterious aurora borealis - the current period of solar maximum activity is at its height - so hunt them out between November and March in northern Scandinavia, Alaska, Canada and even Scotland.
