How to Read Aurora Forecasts When Chasing Northern Lights

When we decided to go on a trip to view the northern lights, we went down the science rabbit hole of how aurora forecasts work. We thought that if we had a good understanding of how all the measurements are made, we could increase our odds of seeing the northern lights.

As it turns out, reading aurora and solar activity charts is not easy (and I say this as Angie and I hold a small stack of engineering degrees between the two of us and I've taken an entire year's worth of astronomy for good measure). For those who are not as nerdy as we are, looking at these charts can be quite daunting and may cause you to simply stick to the analog of the KP Index and call it a day.

So in this one, we thought we'd share a few of our favorite things to watch out for on aurora tracking sites like Space Weather Live to help you better understand the charts that you may be looking at!

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Zilte Review – A High-End Lunch Experience in Antwerp

Zilte is a three-Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in Antwerp with stunning views and an emphasis on seafood dishes. Prix fixe menus are on offer here, with different numbers of courses available depending on whether you're dining at lunch or dinner, and the day of the week.

We went for lunch instead of dinner at Zilte, which is a strategy we've used several times to experience Michelin-starred restaurants at a slightly more affordable price point. As we dined in winter, another pro of lunch instead of dinner was having enough daylight to enjoy the beautiful views from the top of the MAS building- including an absolutely stunning sunset at the end!

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7 Swedish Foods You Absolutely Must Try When Visiting

We have to admit, before our recent trip to Sweden, the country hadn't really been on our minds as a culinary destination. In fact, we have to admit that we did not know much about Swedish food at all!

But after dining at many truly delicious restaurants with a wide range of styles, and trying lots of new types of foods, we can safely say we are converts. Here are seven unique foods we had while in Sweden that you should make an effort to try on your trip!

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How to Photograph the Northern Lights – Camera Settings

When we went to Kiruna, Sweden, deep in the Arctic Circle, to chase the northern lights, I knew I wanted to capture some (hopefully) stellar aurora photos.

I have had some experience in astrophotography when shooting photos of the stars deep in the desert, but combining that with often moving and fleeting aurora at much closer distances (than a nearby galaxy, at least) was a new challenge entirely.

After taking an aurora photography tour and practicing myself, I have some tips plus a few products you may want to buy that will help your aurora photography improve significantly!

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