Explore the Northern Lights from the comfort of your own home

(Image credit: Twitter.com/ApolloMapping)

published 16 January 2015

If you can't get to the Northern Lights, then Google Maps will bring the Northern Lights to you.

Images of the aurora borealis were taken in northern Finland, and all users have to do to see them is click on the map. The aurora is caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with molecules in the earth, and can only be seen at certain latitudes a few times a year. While the photos can't quite capture how breathtaking the lights are, it's still nice to get a glimpse of this phenomenon.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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