One of many Finest Methods to Expertise the Northern Lights Is With an Astronomer at Sea — Here is What It is Like

It is ironic to really feel grounded whereas staring on the cosmos from a ship deck in Arctic waters, however that is the peculiar magic of chasing the Northern Lights aboard Hurtigruten’s MS Midnatsol. Tom Kerss, the cruise line’s Chief Aurora Chaser, has a approach of constructing deep area really feel surprisingly accessible. Between discussions of Jovian auroras attributable to volcanoes on certainly one of Jupiter’s moons, Kerss drops quippy one-liners: “A few of you should have an ideal day since you get to listen to me.”

Standing on the commentary deck in 15-degree temperatures, the place the ship’s motion makes tripod pictures a problem and winter clouds often obscure the view, I shortly discovered that aurora searching requires equal elements science, endurance, and humor. Kerss’s experience — honed at London’s Royal Observatory Greenwich and detailed in his quite a few books — remodeled what may very well be easy celestial sightseeing right into a deeper understanding of our place within the universe. That is assuming, in fact, the temperamental Arctic climate cooperates.

Arctic Norway in winter calls for flexibility. Although we’re becoming a member of only a few days of Hurtigruten’s longer northbound route, excessive winds shut roads from Honingsvåg to the North Cape and churn up 15-foot waves that problem even seasoned sailors’ sleep. However the Midnatsol, which joined Hurtigruten’s fleet from sibling firm HX, supplies loads of diversions between Northern Lights viewings.

From my Expedition Suite, floor-to-ceiling home windows body the coastal panorama. The room options heated lavatory flooring and considerate Nordic design touches that make the area really feel each environment friendly and welcoming — a far cry from the tundra on the opposite aspect of the glass.

The ship’s “Norway’s Coastal Kitchen” program sources 80 p.c of its meals and 60 p.c of its drinks regionally — together with what could be the world’s most intriguing glowing wine. To rejoice its a hundred and thirtieth anniversary, Hurtigruten submerged 1,700 bottles of Rathfinny Wine Property’s Traditional Cuvée in a Norwegian fjord, creating the world’s first sea-aged glowing wine. The experiment proved so profitable that hundreds extra bottles now relaxation in an undisclosed location beneath the waves.

The culinary program extends past wine to incorporate award-winning Norwegian components: reindeer filet served alongside native root greens, duck breast with lingonberries, and Gangstad Gårdsysteri’s Nidelven Blå — topped the world’s greatest cheese on the World Cheese Awards.

Between ports, Kerss’s astronomy periods in the primary theater draw crowds keen to know the science behind the spectacle we’re chasing. For instance, he downloads knowledge and makes use of Python code to assemble high-resolution photos of Europa, certainly one of Jupiter’s moons, connecting our earthbound journey to the better cosmos. The shows really feel much less like lectures and extra like conversations with a very educated buddy who occurs to know an terrible lot about area.

Close to the Russian border in Kirkenes, the place the Midnatsol pulls into port on a gunmetal morning, the intertwining of nature and tradition turns into clear, regardless of the solar providing little greater than a delicate glow above the hills. Our information pilots a snowmobile throughout a frozen fjord to reap king crabs — a species launched by Soviet scientists within the Nineteen Sixties that has since migrated west, remodeling from a Chilly Conflict meals safety experiment into certainly one of Norway’s most profitable catches. Lately, the crabs fetch 500-600 NOK per kilo, although strict quotas handle their invasive unfold.

The morning continues with a go to to a conventional Sami lavvu, what Individuals name a tipi, the place we feed reindeer — animals that, by legislation, solely Indigenous Sami can personal in Norway. Our host shares a joik, a conventional track about his household, and the haunting vocals fill the fire-warmed tent as snow falls outdoors.

Later, on the Snow Resort‘s restaurant, we feast on the morning’s catch: huge crab legs served with bread, butter, and mayonnaise — proof that some components require little embellishment. The entire expertise feels much less like normal cruise ship tourism and extra like a real glimpse into life above the Arctic Circle.

On our final night time at sea, the clouds lastly break. The fixed movement of the ship, mixed with Arctic winds and slick decks, makes DSLR pictures almost unimaginable with out a tripod, which I’ve foregone to journey carry-on solely. For severe photographers, Kerss recommends taking pictures in handbook mode with ISO 800-1600, selecting “Daylight” white steadiness, and utilizing the widest attainable aperture.

However on a transferring ship in Arctic waters, even excellent settings cannot assure the shot. A tip for aurora-chasing, cellphone photographers: pack hand heaters and use a pop socket. The mix permits for quick-trigger pictures with out continually eradicating gloves in subzero temperatures and helps negate the hazard of an iPhone being discovered on the backside of the ocean, centuries from now. 

Whereas these residing for the photograph alone would possibly favor land-based viewing, there’s one thing becoming about witnessing the Northern Lights from the rolling deck of a ship, the place the road between sea and sky blurs within the frozen night time. Kerss joins us on deck, providing technical recommendation between musings about area and time. Watching him work with keen photographers and astronomy fans, it is clear he is discovered his excellent perch, someplace between the celebrities and the ocean, making the infinite really feel surprisingly inside attain.