Northern Lights

Sanday is crowned by its skies - at dawn, at dusk, by day, by night. Views with wide horizons alter with the changing light. On a clear night, the stars are spectacular, and the very lucky may glimpse the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights over the winter months.

Known locally as the 'Merry Dancers', this natural phenomenon can light up the night sky at these northern latitudes. Displays range from a dull greenish glow to a full-on spectacular show of several colours, sometimes shooting skywards in colourful flares. On other nights, they create curtans of green and sometimes red light which move mesmorisingly across the night sky. The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of solar wind - charged particles escpaing the sun - with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.

You will stand a chance of seeing aurora when there is a solar storm and the sky is dark, cloud-free and you are away from light pollution. With it's limited light pollution and plenty of dark skies, Sanday is the perfect place to be lucky!