Northern Lights

Tom Kerss

Royal Observatory Greenwich £8.99  PB

An awful lot of people get the Northern Lights wrong and return home from the Arctic Circle disappointed and feeling conned. Host of the excellent Star Signs weekly stargazing podcast and founder of Stargazing•London, Kerss has here produced a wonderfully comprehensive and well-written guide about all facets of Northern Lights-hunting. It sets expectations and arms the reader with exactly what they need to know, and much more besides.

As evidenced by the inclusion of many of his own photos, Kerss has spent a lot of time in the Arctic Circle. Indeed, the section on how to photograph the Northern Lights is very impressive, with lengthy advice on how to take images, but also how to post-process the results when you get home. There’s even tips on using the latest smartphone cameras.

Clearly a student of the history of astronomy, Kerss also provides an entertaining overview of how our understanding of the aurora has changed over the centuries. Within these sections there are some surprising facts. For example, did you know the term aurora borealis was coined by Galileo in 1616? Or that Captain Cook witnessed the aurora over nine consecutive nights in 1770 while sailing south of the equator?

Along the way Kerss explains everything from our planet’s magnetosphere to space weather, but crucially in language that’s always straightforward. That’s no mean feat when it comes to solar physics.

As Kerss states, you’ll need perseverance and patience to see and photograph the Northern Lights. You won’t need either to find enjoyment from this excellent guide to a fabulous natural phenomenon.