Astronomical Tour - Northern Lights View (Aurora hunting)

Wonderful educational astronomical tour to the City of Murmansk (Russia) to hunt for Northern Lights - Aurora and learn about astronomy and astrophysical processes in the atmosphere. This place is located far-west of Russia, across the Arctic Circle. It is just 2.5 hours direct flight from Moscow to Murmansk. During the 5 day trip the students will learn the following aspects: geophysical processes in the sky, physics of atmosphere, climate processes study, waves processes in the atmosphere, and more.

Murmansk (officially declared in 4 October 1916) is a sea port city (in Barents Sea) and the administrative center of Murmansk Region in the far northwest part of Russia. It sits on both slopes and banks of a modest ria (a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciatedriver valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea) or fjord, Kola Bay,an estuarine inlet of the Barents Sea, with its bulk on the east bank of the inlet. It is in the north of the rounded Kola Peninsula which covers most of the Region. The city is 108 kilometers from the border with Norway and 182 kilometers from the border with Finland. There was a building boom in the early twentieth century's arms races, Murmansk's population has been in decline since the Cold War, from 468,039 (1989) 336,137 (2002), 307,257 (2010) to 270,384 (2021). It remains the largest city north of the Arctic Circle, with over 100,000 more inhabitants than Norilsk, Russia, and is a major port of the Arctic Ocean. Ancient local residents are called «Saams».

DAY 1 Arrival, check-in at Park Inn, go out to hunt for Aurora (Northern Lights)

DAY 2 Visit to the local residents farm, feed northern deers, try local food and City Tour

Visit main landmarks of the City, local Food Tasting: fish, crabs, comb-fish, hedgehog-fish,deer and Husky dog feeding, playing local residents games, lunch and tea inside locals’ shelters (tepee), quizzes, mystery of local “Petroglyphs”, visit sea-navigation station. Master Class from Polar Geophysical Institute scientists, visit Planetarium.

DAY 3 and DAY 4 Trip to Khibiny Mountains (City of Kirovsk, possible stay overnight in Kirovsk)

3-hour drive from Murmansk to the Mountains; Lift to the mountains; Visit museum of minerals mined by local factories (Nickle,Iridium, etc). The Platinum-group metals are used in aerospace industry; Ride on sleds in the woods. Aurora hunting.

Next day (Day 4) Trip to Kandalaksha. Hiking in the woods. On the way back Aurora hunting.

DAY 5 Trip to Teriberka

Trip to Teriberka (the whole day) – edge of the mainland, 2.5-hour drive from Murmansk to Teriberka; Trip on a sea boat to view whales, fishing (not included, upon request); Aurora hunting.

DAY 6 Breakfast, check-out, trip back home