And soft they danced from the Polar sky and swept in primrose haze;
And swift they pranced with their silver feet, and pierced with a blinding blaze.
They danced a cotillion in the sky; they were rose and silver shod;
It was not good for the eyes of man—‘twas a sight for the eyes of God.
It made us mad and strange and sad, and the gold whereof we dreamed
Was all forgot, and our only thought was of the lights that gleamed.
– From The Ballad of the Northern Lights, Robert Service
Few of earth’s wonders captivate our collective imagination quite like the Northern Lights, thanks in no small measure to the talents of the Bard of the Yukon, Robert Service. More than a century later, experiencing the magic remains a bucket-list highlight for many.
The result of excited electrons from the sun hitting earth’s magnetosphere, the Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – dance across northern skies from mid-August through mid-April, however the best chance of catching them is typically during the first few weeks of winter.
If the Northern Lights have captured your imagination, check out the full story here!
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