Northern lights appeared over Sweden and Norway overnight into Saturday. There is still a chance to see them tonight, even in central and southern Sweden, according to aurora expert Calle Bergstrand. More opportunities are expected in the coming days.
The northern lights illuminated the skies over Sweden and Norway during the night leading into Saturday, March 22, 2026. Many shared photos of a greenish sky, according to Calle Bergstrand, founder of the website norrskensverige.se. He notes that the phenomenon is not unusual and more viewings are possible. “There is also a chance in central Sweden and perhaps even the southern parts tonight,” says Bergstrand. He adds: “Absolutely! With a bit of luck already tonight, Saturday. But actually also particularly good in the coming days. Northern lights down towards Svealand cannot be ruled out in the coming days.” The best chances are in the auroral zone, an oval around Earth's poles, especially in Kiruna and Abisko in northern Sweden. The lights appear when the auroral zone expands equatorward due to magnetic clouds of charged particles or strong solar wind passing Earth's magnetic field. Such solar storms are common during solar maximum, part of the sun's 11-year cycle. According to Bergstrand, we have likely passed solar maximum but have about a year left before it calms down. The northern lights will not disappear entirely, but will become less frequent far south and as intense.