Head north for a phenomenal light show.

We are entering the season of the northern lights: flickering curtains of fire dancing across the night sky, stunning those who bear witness.

This midnight marvel – officially termed aurora borealis - has amazed people for centuries. Aurora chasers cross continents in their efforts to behold the heavens streaked with a kaleidoscope of colour; holiday makers seek a celestial sightseeing experience they’ll never forget.

The science: Northern lights originate from our sun. During large explosions, huge quantities of solar particles travel into space. As they close in on Earth, these particles collide with the atoms of the upper atmosphere, and this collision causes light to be seen in the sky. Auroras are seen most strongly around the Earth’s magnetic poles, but can be seen in middle latitudes in periods of intense solar activity.

The sights: The northern lights come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on the altitude at which they occur, they can appear as blood red, sea green or cobalt blue. They can take the form of kilometre-wide arcs, wild spirals or may appear as distinct pulsations similar to the puffs from a steam locomotive train!

When to go: Even though there are auroras every day of the year, they are only visible to the eye on autumn and winter evenings. This is because the aurora light is relatively weak compared to that of the sun. Hence, the aurora season – a period in which the sun doesn’t outshine the aurora – runs from late September to March. For reasons still unknown to scientists, the northern lights are most active in late autumn and very early spring.

Where to go: The majority of auroras take place at 67 degrees north or thereabouts. The sky space over the regions on earth where the northern lights are seen most often and with the greatest intensity is called the aurora oval. These include Norway, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, Mexico, Scotland and Canada (detailed below).

Norway: The aurora capital of the world, the most northerly parts of Norway (those north of the Artic Circle) are located directly below the auroral oval at night, a veritable hotbed of midnight sky activity, with celestial displays visible on almost every starry night. The best places are Andenes (see guide, opposite), Tromsø, Harstad, Narvik, Bodø and Svalbad, the latter being one of the few places on earth where it is possible to study auroras by day as well as by night. Sightings occur in Oslo roughly three times a month, but on almost every dark and clear night in the Andenes.

Sweden: The closer to the Norwegian border, the better the light show. Good locations include Kiruna and Abisko.

Elsewhere: Lucky Scandinavians! While their heavens are ablaze with every colour of the rainbow, the rest of the aurora oval has to make do with far less celestial activity. In the US and Canada the northern lights light up the skies roughly two to four times a year while those on the very tip of Scotland lay claim to seeing the aurora borealis once a month, and Mexicans are treated to sky lights just once or twice a decade.

What to take: A weekend break in Scandinavia offers no guarantee of seeing the northern lights. The aurora is always on the move, so the one thing you’ll need in bucketfuls is patience. Today’s technology and knowledge allows for aurora predictions only three days in advance, so keep up to date with regular weather forecasts on dedicated websites like www.northern-lights.no, and be prepared to book a last minute trip.

For more on Scandinavian skies, see our feature on the summer solstice. Or be inspired by our guide to driving in and around Norway's fjords.

Main image: Northern lights by Tomas Utsi and www.imagebank.sweden.se. Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.