What Is Abisko’s Blue Hole? Meteorological Phenomenon Helps Photographer Capture Elusive Auroras

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Andrea Ullius )
What Is Abisko's Blue Hole? Meteorological Phenomenon Helps Photographer Capture Elusive Auroras

Aurora borealis can be elusive, and not everyone is lucky enough to witness their charm and beauty in real life. However, Abisko has a "cloud-busting weapon" called "Blue Hole" that gives one more chance to view the beautiful northern lights.

What Is Blue Hole in Abisko?

For those who want to see the magnificence of the northern lights, you should head to Abisko National Park. The place is the perfect location because it's under the aurora oval and has a secret cloud-busting weapon called "Blue Hole," which increases your chances of witnessing the elusive aurora borealis in the night sky.

The dominant winds and jet stream from the Arctic Ocean in a westerly direction are responsible for forming the Blue Hole of Absiko. Because these steady westerly winds are so consistent, the wind over Abisko blows in the same direction for much of the aurora season, resulting in a dominant weather pattern called a microclimate.

The huge mountains just over Sweden's border with Norway obstruct moist air, causing a rain shadow to form over Abisko, where the prevailing winds from the Arctic Ocean meet them. Even on the cloudiest nights, this effectively tears a 10-20 square kilometer "Blue Hole" in the clouds over Abisko, allowing a view of the stars.

In short, Blue Hole offers a window for you to see the stars and the northern lights even during the cloudiest nights, and it's not a hype. Daisy Dobrijevic tested Abisko's Blue Hole, and it worked. She said she joined a tour group, and they headed to the Aurora Sky Station. Among those who were part of the tour was Oliver Wright, a senior photographer and guide with the tourism company Lights over Lapland.

However, the weather forecast said it was 100% cloudy, reducing their chance of seeing the grandiosity of the aurora borealis. Since Dobrijevic knew the area had the Blue Hole, she hoped they would still see the northern lights. Blue Hole did not disappoint because it shifted some clouds to give them a clear view of the night sky, which was all they needed to see the northern lights. Wright captured some snaps with the beautiful auroras in the background; some were included in Dobrijevic's report.

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Steve vs Auroras

Many immediately identify every green and purple light in the night sky as aurora borealis. However, that's not always the case because there's also a phenomenon called "Steve," which is similar to auroras.

Steve's purple-pink arch and green vertical stripes make him as colorful as auroras. Despite their initial similarities, auroras and Steve are two quite different phenomena. Unlike auroras, which are visibly portrayed as crimson, green, or blue ribbons in motion, Steve is not produced by charged particles that glow in response to environmental stimulation.

According to experts, sub-auroral ion drift (SAID) is Steve's main component. It is seen at lower latitudes as a mauve-colored light streak with distinguishable green bands, often called a picket fence.

Steve is one of those characters that is annoyingly elusive. It is not often found with auroras. Manitoba-based Canadian photographer Donna Lach noted that occasionally, encountering Steve might be a matter of luck.