Best places to see the northern lights around the world – and when

The northern lights make rare appearances over the UK - (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

One of the world’s most famous natural sights, the northern lights attract people to areas around the Arctic in hopes of seeing the rare display.

Caused by the redirection of particles from the sun that hit the Earth’s atmosphere, the stunning atmospheric phenomenon is seen as the Holy Grail of skywatching and mostly occurs in areas around Norway, Finland, Sweden and Greenland.