A Gift… From God
The Northern Lights has been something I dreamed of seeing for as long as I can remember. I read a lot about them, painted them, and day dreamed about them. But for some reason, I believed those were as deep of an interaction I would have with them. I don’t know why we tend to leave dreams on paper or in our minds than actually pursue them. Maybe it is just me. It wasn’t until I was reading about the solar maximum* that would take place in 2024 that I thought to myself, why on earth should I not go and see them? What am I waiting for? Who am I waiting for? If there is ever a time I should, it should be in 2024. I am extremely grateful and acknowledge that I am in a privileged position to be able to make such a decision. Alhamdulillah.
So I read deeply about the solar maximum, about the best months to go, how the moon may impact our visibility, where in the world I should go to see them and more. I talked to local aurora hunters and gathered their knowledge, then made the decision at the start of the year to come to Rovaniemi, Finland for the first week of October. A week so that I could ensure I have a night where I see the spectacle.
Why Rovaniemi, Finland? Being in Lapland is a great spot to see the lights, whether that’s the Swedish Lapland or Finnish Lapland. There are other locations around the world of course, but this was the most accessible to me. I also found great aurora hunters here in Rovaniemi, who’s #1 priority is to make you see the lights. This means that they will drive you as far as you need to go, even as far as Swedish Lapland, to catch the northern lights. In one night, you could drive anywhere between 5–14 hours and up to 1000km. Every night looks different, and every tour ends up in a different location. So everyone’s experience is incredibly unique.
Why the first week of October? Late September and October fall in the Autumn Equinox, during which, the Earth’s tilt brings the northern hemisphere closer to the sun. This is great for Northern Lights. Autumn time also means clearer skies than in winter. Lastly, the first week of October, specifically October 2nd (which is the day I booked my aurora tour), is the day of the new moon (no moon is visible), and therefore, better visibility.
As you can see, I timed and planned everything to the T. It was all perfect on paper.
The morning of October 2nd, I messaged Alex (my aurora hunter) asking how the data for the northern lights were looking. He said, “A weak aurora may be possible.” I asked if we could go another day when the data is more favourable, and he said that it will be cloudy the next night and he is unavailable the other nights… so tonight is my only chance. I was distraught to say the least. All my dreams, as well as the time, effort, and money I put into this trip, was depending on this one single night, which was already looking rather uneventful.
Lesson #1: You can do your part perfectly, but remember that ultimately, it is all in God’s hands. No matter how much control you try to take of a situation, you are never truly in control. No matter how much you plan, “Allah (God) is the best of planners” (Quran 8:30).
We started our journey around 7:15pm. With me were 5 others and Alex. We drove for a couple of hours and Alex picked a spot from where we may see the Auroras above the clouds. While waiting for the lights to hopefully show, I was completely mesmerized by the starry night sky. If a glittery black dress was inspired by something of nature, it was this night sky. Besides the millions of stars, plenty of shooting stars and planets, I saw the Milky Way; which I never thought I would. We started to see a slight glimpse of the aurora at around 10:15. It was small and faint, but pretty regardless. As Alex had said earlier, a weak aurora was possible, and it happened. About an hour of sitting in -4°C under the glittery sky and shy little aurora, something unexpected happened. Something that went against all the data. Against science.
The Aurora performed a lovely ballet for us. I was sitting there trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am literally living out one of my dreams in that moment. The sky was so vast and so open, and the aurora spread from the east to the west, like a ribbon on a big present. Yes, it was different to what I expected; partially because of my lack of understanding of the northern lights and partially because of the data of that day, but nevertheless, it was beautiful.
We went to a second location, where we saw the aurora reflect over a lake. By around 3:00am, she grew tired and left the stage. Alex stood there in slight disbelief and said, “We did not have any reason to get such an amazing light show tonight. The data was extremely weak. This was a gift.” I replied, “It’s because I’ve been praying to God all day and night.” To which he responded, “You may be right.”
Lesson 2: Never underestimate God’s power. You may have all the data in the world, all the information, and science may prove it, but all of that can, and often will be, nullified by God.
Lesson 3: Have patience and never give up on your duas (supplication to God). Truly believe that nothing you ask of God goes unheard, and nothing you ask of God is impossible. They may not be answered in the way you wanted, but they will always be answered in the form that is best for you. I knew that despite the data, it does not have the final call, God does. So I constantly prayed to God to give us a beautiful show despite the data, because only He can. And He did. If He didn’t, I knew God had better plans for me.
* Solar maximum refers to the highest rate of solar activity during the sun’s approximately 11-year solar cycle (source: space.com). Northern lights are caused by magnetic storms that have been triggered by solar activity, such as solar flares (explosions on the Sun) or coronal mass ejections (ejected gas bubbles) (source: Nasa).
