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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Travel
Laura Hampson

New app developed with NASA will help you chase Northern Lights

‘Global first’ technology has been used in creating a new app that can help travellers chase the Northern Lights.

Dubbed the ‘world’s first real-time Northern alerts app’, the Live Aurora Network is linked to a network of six HD cameras in select ‘dark sky’ locations across Iceland, Norway and Alaska.

With a camera planned for Canada too, users visiting Iceland, Norway and Alaska can use the app to get real time updates on the dancing lights, directions to the locations and book an overnight stay at the Airbnb’s at each destination which have partnered with the app.

NASA space physicist Dr Liz MacDonald was part of app development process, as she spearheaded a project that makes scientific use of crowdsourced aurora data.

Steven Collins, co-founder at Live Aurora Network, said in a statement: “My brother and I spent countless evenings driving miles and miles to stand in remote Icelandic fields, getting soaking wet, hoping for a chance to see a glimmer of the Northern Lights. Now, with the help of our app, visitors no longer have to go through this and can see the aurora in its full glory with no guesswork.

“Users of the Live Aurora Network app can choose the grade of aurora that they’d like to be notified about, and will be sent a push notification when it appears. The quality of the live video feed means that users can choose to sit back and enjoy the show from the comfort of their own home, or get live directions from their location in Iceland or Norway to the viewpoint.”

The app can be downloaded for a free one month trial with a subscription of £0.99 per month after this. liveauroranetwork.com/

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