北极光的知识

Section A Finland Northern Lights

The Northern Lights, also known as “Aurora Borealis(北极光)” or the “Dawn of the North”, never fail to take your breath away. The aurora borealis is one of the most sublime(超群的) and magnificent natural phenomena on Earth. Before scientists cracked(侦破) the mystery of the auroras, men were drawn(吸引) and fascinated(强烈地吸引住) by these dancing and magical lights that were often found in mythology(神话) and legends. In Roman Mythology, it is said that the Aurora is the deity(神) of the dawn. In North America, the Inuits (爱斯基摩人)have many legends that explain them as spirits of the dead. They believed that the lights are the essences(精华) of deer, salmon(鲑鱼), seals and other animals that they hunted. Aristotle (亚里斯多德)thought it was glowing air gushing(喷出) from cracks in the sky. The appearance of the red aurora in medieval(中世纪的) times was feared as a bad omen (前兆) or a sign of God's anger. They believed the manifestation (显现)of the aurora indicated famine or war. Charles Hall (查

尔斯·霍尔), a 19th-century polar explorer, exclaimed: "Who but God can conceive(想出) such infinite(无穷的) scenes of

glory" Oddly enough, the Maori (毛利人)thought that the

displays were just reflections of a campfire(营火) or torches.

Regardless whether you believe the scientific facts or the legends behind its existence, you’ll still be captivated(吸住) by these supernatural display of lights, and there are countless destinations where you can see the majestic phenomenon. Finland （芬兰）, for example, should be a representative. Many visitors to Finland come with hopes of seeing the Finland Northern Lights. The best place to see the Northern Lights in Finland is in the northern Lapland region(拉普兰地区), which is almost entirely located within the realm(区域) of the Arctic Circle (北极圈). During the dark winter months here, when the sun rarely peaks(使达到最高峰) its head over the horizon, you can expect to see the Finland Northern Lights with regularity, and other peak(峰值) seasons include February through March and September through October. The time between 6 . and 1 a.m. is the most intense period of the day. The highest probability within this timespan（时间间隔）to see the Finland Northern Lights is between 9 . and 11:30 ., though they are certainly not restricted to this time frame. If you have never seen the Northern Lights wherever they commonly occur in the world, then you will be amazed the first time when you lay eyes on them.

The Northern Lights are similar to a sunset in the sky at night, but appear occasionally in arcs（弧光）or spirals（螺旋形物）usually following the earth's magnetic（磁性的）field. They are most often light green in color but often have a hint of pink. Swirling(涡旋形的) shades of blue, green, and pink are most common when it comes to the Finland Northern Lights. Strong eruptions also have violet(紫罗兰色的) and white colours. Red northern lights are rare, but can sometimes be observed on lower latitudes(纬度).

The Finland Aurora Borealis, while best seen in Lapland, can also be witnessed as far south as the capital city of Helsinki(赫尔辛基) from time to time, though on average, there are only some twenty days out of the year when viewing them is possible in most southern parts of the country. Part of the reason why it can be difficult to see the Northern Lights of Finland in Helsinki is because of the fact that it is hard to escape to dimly lit areas. The relative lack of city lights is just one of the reasons why the Lapland region sees some 200 nightly occurrences every year, and one must also consider the region’s northern location. The lower reaches(区域) of the Arctic Circle are ideal for viewing the Northern Lights across the planet, which is why Canada and Alaska are good destinations in the Western Hemisphere(半球).