What life is like in the world's northernmost town, where it's dark for 4 months a year and polar bears roam free

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Environment
longyearbyen
Longyearbyen, Norway, is the northernmost town in the world.

ginger_polina_bublik/Shutterstock

Photos show life in the world's northernmost town, where it's dark for 4 months a year and polar bears roam free

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Environment
longyearbyen
Longyearbyen, Norway, is the northernmost town in the world.

ginger_polina_bublik/Shutterstock

I spent $170 on 4 failed tours to see the northern lights and then finally saw them while waiting at a bus stop

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The Northern Lights over Kirkjufell mountain as someone with a tripod takes a photo of it
Many people travel just to get a chance to see the northern lights.

Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images

The sun is at its 11-year maximum. That means another year of eruptions that can endanger satellites, ground flights, and spark stunning auroras.

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purple sun sphere with bumpy bright spots including a giant bright flare in the middle
The sun emits the largest solar flare of this 11-year cycle, as imaged by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 3.

NASA/SDO

I saw the northern lights during the historic solar storm. I was surprised by how misleading the photos are.

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purple starry sky above treetops
Some of my pictures turned out purple for some reason.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

10 photos of the Northern Lights dazzling in the night sky across the US and Europe caused by massive geomagnetic storm

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You can see the Northern Lights in Alaska.
You can see the Northern Lights in Alaska.

CNaene/Getty Images

A 'severe' geomagnetic storm is forecast for Earth for the first time in years — here's what to know about these storms

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Satellite image of the sun's corona
NOAA's GOES-16 satellite captured this image of activity in the sun's corona on May 10.

NOAA

NASA video shows the sun just blasted out 4 eruptions at the same time. The rare event may have sent plasma hurtling toward Earth.

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blue telescope view of the sun in space with pink arrows pointing to three bright spots and one darker spot with wavy lines
Eruptions appeared in four spots on the sun at the same time.

NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory

The equinox might fuel powerful Northern Lights by creating 'holes' in Earth's magnetic field

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Auroras seen above a lighthouse.
The northern lights in Whitley Bay, England April 24, 2023.

Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images

Watch the sun show off all year with a total eclipse, strong solar storms, and NASA almost landing on the solar surface

Tech Insider
the sun glowing yellow-orange orb in black space covered in roiling plasma with two dark large spots
The sun develops coronal holes, one of many forms of solar activity that could peak this year.

NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory

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