Lights at the Lighthouse

We arrived at the lighthouse car park in Reykjavik at 10:45 pm last night (Friday). The sky was clear but no sign of the aurora. The hour between 10 and 11 pm was the time when it was supposed to happen.

A quick check on Twitter revealed that the aurora has been sighted over the city at 9:50 pm. Had we missed it?

Midnight came and went and so did the chocolates and muffins. Someone on the internet had seen the aurora in Northern Ireland. Yet nothing here in Iceland some 14 degrees further north!

The sky was clear. The heated seats were hot. The internet chatter said that the "polarity had flipped" and the chances of the aurora had faded.

By 1:00 am I was feeling tired and I was ready to call it a night and go back to the hotel. Harriet said "Dad be patient" and insisted we stayed and kept watch. Ten minutes later she was fast asleep.

At around 1:30 am I saw it to the south. It looked a bit like a green cloud to start with. I dashed out. People appeared from nowhere, from cars with tripods and cameras.

Although the aurora was only green in colour, it was spectacular. I was amazed how the patterns changed so quickly - like moving art in the sky. The photos aren't too great but it was an exhilarating experience. I'll have another go at the photos when I am back home.

I've waited a long time to tick this box.