RESIDENTS of this tiny town in Canada are treated to the Northern Lights 300 days a year.
Lucky locals in Churchill, Manitoba, are able to gaze up at the most spectacular natural phenomena on Earth almost every night – but it’s very tricky for tourists to get to.
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The Northern Lights are known to grace the Northern hemisphere – hence their name and the fame of the region.
Stunning photos show the beautiful views they create in the town which is home to only 870 residents.
However, if Brits want to drink in the scenery they must embark on a very long trek.
There are no roads in and out of the town and it can only be reached by air or train.
Brits can fly 15 hours to Winnipeg before taking another flight to Churchill – or else can hop on a 48-hour train journey from Winnipeg.
The Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are the result of electrically charged particles from the sun, smashing into gaseous particles in our planet’s atmosphere.
This solar flare is often joined by a coronal mass ejection – which is a huge expulsion of plasma from the sun’s outer layer.
The massive burst of material from the sun prompts a geomagnetic storm, which brings the aurora to lower latitudes.
The solar storms cause bright, colourful dancing lights in white, green, pink and purple that illuminate the sky and are considered an incredible sight.
Colour variations occur when different types of gas particles collide with the charged particles.
The most common colour of the aurora is green, which is created when oxygen molecules about 60 miles above the ground react with the particles, whereas nitrogen causes a blue or purple hue.
Apart from Churchill, Norway is considered to be the best country to view the Northern Lights in.
Tromso, Norway is a popular destination because of the great viewing of the Northern Lights.
They usually appear from September till April.
It is only three and a half hours away by plane from London and is a city which is also known for its pubs and bars.
Nordic countries are considered the best places to see the Northern Lights in.
If you want to go elsewhere, you can also visit Sweden.
Kiruna gives visitors a wilderness adventure and one can catch a viewing off the Lights between October and March.
Iceland and Canada are also good places to visit for the Northern Lights.
