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Northern Lights dazzle in a stunning New Year's display

The chances of seeing the Northern Lights will decrease as the week continues, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

Turquoise, green and purple aurora over an icy lake. The silhouette of a pine tree in the foreground.
Marcus Teräs photographed the beautiful northern lights display in Enontekiö. Image: Marcus Teräs
Yle News

The new year began with a spectacular display of the Northern Lights in many parts of Finland.

The Aurora show was especially vibrant and visible in western and northern Finland on Wednesday night.

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), a coronal mass ejection (CME) reached Earth on New Year's Eve, with its effects still visible the following night. The chances of seeing the Northern Lights will decrease as the week continues.

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a large release of solar plasma from the Sun, often accompanied by solar flares that emit X-rays. The corona is the Sun's outermost layer of hot plasma. When a CME reaches Earth, it interacts with the planet’s magnetic field, causing the aurora borealis.

Here are some photos shared by Yle readers.

Pink Northern Lights display in the sky.
Oona Oksman captured the Aurora in Kokkola. Image: Oona oksman
A cloudy sky coloured green by the aurora borealis over a snow-covered field bordered by forest.
Laura Kaitila's photo of the display in Hollola Image: Laura Kaitila
Tall pine trees grow behind the snowy roof, behind which the aurora borealis dazzles in turquoise and purple in the starry sky.
Juho-Pekka Palomaa photographed the lights in Kokkola. Image: Juho-Pekka Palomaa
Purple aurora lights dazzle in the starry sky.
Zivile Karvonen's daughter Carolina photographed the Northern Lights in Mynämäki. Image: Zivile Karvonen
Green and reddish aurora borealis in the starry sky above conifers.
The display at Ylitorni, in the village of Nuotioranta. Image: Kimmo Kalla

The All Points North podcast went chasing the northern lights in Finnish Lapland. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena via Apple or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The science, myths and social media power of Finland's aurora borealis

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