By Rob Hugh-Jones PRI's The World
BBC., 25 December 2011 Last updated at 12:39 GMT
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In America "storm-chasers" are the intrepid types who pursue tornadoes, and sometimes hurricanes. But the Arctic Circle has its aurora chasers - people who speed around in search of the best views of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.
"Last week we saw one that had everything - spiralling, curtains, ribbons, greens and reds, and the whole sky lit up. We were amazed at what was unfolding before us," says Andy Keen.
Five years ago he left his job running a charity in the UK to move to Ivalo, a remote village in northern Lapland, Finland, latitude 68 degrees - two degrees above the Arctic Circle.
"I saw a TV documentary about the Northern Lights. So I went there to have a look. Now I'm absolutely addicted," he says.
Mr Keen's company, Aurorahunters, now takes seven tourists a week on hunting trips in the Arctic wilderness to search for the Northern Lights.
"The reason I chose here is because the population is very low, there's very little light or noise pollution, and it's perfect hunting territory for the aurora," he says. (See a slideshow here). The aurora borealis is named after two gods, one Roman, the other Greek
There are similar companies operating elsewhere in Finland and in neighbouring Norway where the official tourism website describes the aurora as "a tricky lady". It adds: "You never know when she bothers to turn up. This diva keeps you waiting."
But aurora chasers like Mr Keen are impatient - they go after the diva instead of waiting for her to come to them.
That means studying charts to find clear skies. "We look at all the weather data," he says. "We're checking the cloudiness reports. Looking at the cloud movement, the density of the clouds. We're pinpointing a place we feel at that particular time there will be a hole in the cloud."
When a location has been selected, Mr Keen and his group jump into minibuses and head into the wilderness, sometimes taking to sledges pulled by huskies to reach the most remote areas. They often see moose and bear tracks and have ventured as far north as the Arctic Ocean.
All to get the best vantage point to see the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of dawn (Aurora) and the Greek name for the north wind (Boreas).
However, it's the solar wind, not the north wind, that is the determining factor.
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