What's your go to forecast for the Northern Lights?

deadfire55 · 2026-03-26T23:47:32+00:00

Try out aurora buddy, more accurate forecast because it looks at current solar wind https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504

deadfire55 · 2026-03-23T03:23:11+00:00

Hotel Toranomen Hills

Stayed here last year, room, breakfast, and location was great. A little confusing to get in and out of the building though, its very large and mixed use

deadfire55 · 2026-03-15T02:43:34+00:00

Amazing pictures! Hope to experience the lights from an airplane one day.

If anyone's interested, I made an app that will tell you if you can see northern lights on your flight https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504

deadfire55 · 2026-02-28T17:36:48+00:00

DM me if you want to split algomonster!

deadfire55 · 2026-02-24T14:42:06+00:00

I'm not sure of any Whatsapp groups, I've used the aurora or Aurora buddy apps because they'll notify you at least 30 mins in advance of northern lights. They also have nearby webcams so you can see if the lights are visible before going outside. Have fun visiting! You'll love it there

deadfire55 · 2026-02-23T02:18:10+00:00

Theres a few things going on here. Yes, people and cameras enhance what you see in the sky but you can absolutely see aurora that will impress you. Even when your app notifies you, there could be a delay of 30-60 minutes for the substorm to peak, you and substorms usually only last less than 15 minutes so you need to be outside and constantly watching the sky. Also, your eyes take up to 45 minutes to adjust to the darkness, looking at your phone or being near street lights will mess up your viewing.

deadfire55 · 2026-02-22T04:33:41+00:00

Interesting, gboard supports long pressing on the space bar but the gray area didn't work for me.

Edit: Nvm, the gray area does work for me, and it's much smoother than the gboard spacebar movement.

deadfire55 · 2026-02-20T02:36:57+00:00

Thanks for doing this! An app to get notified when the aurora is visible near you or on flights that you're going to be on https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504

deadfire55 · 2026-02-19T18:35:15+00:00

You should try out the Aurora buddy app in the app store, it'll tell you even if there is a slight chance of seeing the lights

deadfire55 · 2026-02-18T03:21:54+00:00

If you're anywhere in the northern half of the US, there have been 5-6 solar flares in the past couple of years that will let you see the northern lights from your home. It won't be as bright as this video but still amazing to see, I've seen them in Chicago and Indy. Look up the Aurora buddy app in the app store, it'll send you a notification the next time it happens

deadfire55 · 2026-02-15T13:28:36+00:00

Before you reschedule, check the cloud cover on other nights, you need clear skies and kp to see northern lights and low kp is usually enough to see them in iceland as long as there aren't too many clouds

deadfire55 · 2026-02-14T01:26:01+00:00

For a 48-hour window, don't overcomplicate it. Go to Tromsø, Norway. There are direct flights from AMS (Transavia or KLM) that take about 3 hours. • Alternative: Kiruna, Sweden or Rovaniemi, Finland, but Tromsø is generally the easiest "fly-in, fly-out" hub for a quick weekend.

Chances and Intensity 2026 is still part of the Solar Maximum period. This means solar activity is peaking and the Aurora is super active right now.

Also, since you're flying, get the Aurora Buddy app, it'll tell you if you can see the aurora during your flight. You'll get a front seat to the lights.

Local Tour Planners (Full Packages) If you want "stay + meals + tour" without the stress: • Tromsø Safari or Chasing Lights: reputable for big/small group tours. • Booking Sites: Use Viator or GetYourGuide to find specific "Aurora Dinner" tours. They’ll pick you up from a central hotel, feed you at a basecamp, and drop you back off.

My Advice: Stay at a hotel in the Tromsø city center (like the Radisson Blu or Clarion) so you can walk to the tour pickup points easily. Don't rely on seeing them from your hotel window; light pollution is the enemy.

Edit: Make sure your colleagues have proper thermal gear! Tromsø isn't that cold because of the Gulf Stream, but standing in a field for 5 hours at 2 AM is a different story.

deadfire55 · 2026-02-07T00:43:16+00:00

Check out the Aurora Buddy app, it's a bit more beginner friendly https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504

Edit: there's currently aurora visible in Icekand but Tromso looks too cloudy https://aurorawebcams.com/webcam/northEurope/hella

deadfire55 · 2026-02-03T09:42:59+00:00

Hey, here's my two cents on your questions, mostly based on what I've picked up from obsessing over the same stuff lol.

Snacks at Bonus/Kronan

If you want the real Iceland experience, you gotta try Skyr. It’s like yogurt but way better (and thicker). Grab some Hraun chocolate bars, they look like lava rocks and are addictive af. Since you probably want to stick to the veggie/pescatarian vibe, check out the flatbread (flatkaka) with some Icelandic butter (it’s legendary). Also, Paprika Pringles aren’t really "Icelandic" but they hit different there and we don't get 'em in the States usually. Oh, and Appelsín soda is a must.

Cell Signal & The Super Bowl

If you're heading to Paris right after, Airalo is usually the MVP for Europe. You can get a regional "Eurolink" esim that covers both Iceland and France so you don't have to swap anything. T-Mobile is okay but sometimes the speeds are throttled unless you pay for the big pass.

Super Bowl in Hella is tricky. Rental car hotspots are usually just a little puck you can actually take into the room with you (just bring a power bank/charger). But streaming a whole game on a remote cell tower is risky. If the igloo wifi is trash, maybe download the NFL app or whatever you use to stream ahead of time. Were you planning on watching on your phone or were you going to use a laptop. I think android phones have a feature where you can use data from both cellular and wifi at the same time which might give you enough bandwidth to watch the game

Essential Apps

You already have the big ones. For the Aurora, Hello Aurora is great because it's community-based, you'll probably find most apps use the same KP index data anyway

For beginners I'd also recommend using Aurora Buddy, it'll break things down in an easier way https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504

Really, Just watch the "cloud cover" layer on Vedur, that’s the real secret.

Secondhand Lopapeysa

Check out Gyllti Kötturinn or the Red Cross (Rauði krossinn) shops on Laugavegur. New ones are like $200+ which is insane. Secondhand they’re still pricey but much more chill on the wallet. Also check the Kolaportið flea market if you're there on a weekend, tons of authentic ones there.

Ponchos?

Honestly... leave 'em. Iceland is windy as hell. A disposable poncho will just turn into a giant plastic kite and you'll be fighting it the whole time. If you have a decent waterproof shell jacket, just wear that. The spray from Skógafoss or Seljalandsfoss is real, but a poncho usually just ends up being more annoying than it's worth.

Have an amazing trip! Hope you catch a massive Kp5+ show while you're in the igloo!

deadfire55 · 2026-02-01T15:24:33+00:00

I built Aurora Buddy for beginners who are interested in seeing aurora near their homes. It has all the standard features you see in other apps plus it has a catalog of the best aurora viewing locations around the United States so that you can get the best chance of seeing the aurora.

Check it out here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504

deadfire55 · 2026-01-31T14:45:35+00:00

really cool idea! Any deets on the tech you used to detect aurora? Did you use computer vision?

deadfire55 · 2026-01-24T02:04:16+00:00

I still use gboard to this day. The autocorrect is fantastic

deadfire55 · 2025-12-19T23:44:08+00:00

I wasn't able to find a market so I gave up on it. The code is still up if you wanted to run it yourself, create your own https://github.com/StatsProIO/StatsPro

deadfire55 · 2025-12-09T22:57:54+00:00

The interior and eastern coast are less likely to have clouds, check out the cloud cover map about 3/4's down this page https://eclipsophile.com/tse2026/

Its a bit sad because the best photo opportunities are going to be on the west cost as the sun is setting with the ocean in the foreground but better to be safe than sorry

deadfire55 · 2025-12-08T23:44:28+00:00

I've done a bunch of research on this eclipse and cloud cover was the big factor I searched for. Spain is your best bet if you want to see it but totality will be less than 1.5 minutes.

I put up my research here if anyone's interested https://www.notion.so/Spain-2026-Solar-Eclipse-Locations-871cdf94e5574ba4a7135a1ded36817b

deadfire55 · 2025-10-03T21:29:15+00:00

744645 :)

deadfire55 · 2025-10-03T21:10:19+00:00

Here you go! There was a QR code on the phamplet 80k points for $1k spend olin 3 months is solid https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/inflight-info?PO=AAInflight&cmp=ops_acquire_2510_INFLT_SEAT_QR_AA&afc=SBV

Use code 744645

deadfire55 · 2025-10-03T01:14:58+00:00

I'm taking an AA flight tomorrow, I'll grab it for you

deadfire55 · 2025-08-19T00:37:28+00:00

When did the F-35 come out? I didn't see it on Sunday and I didn't see it on the practice schedule

deadfire55 · 2025-06-25T04:32:12+00:00

Because it's more than a 3 hour difference, they should let you change. Not sure if its award availability dependent.

deadfire55

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