Aurora Reykjavik

Aurora Reykjavik sets out what the northern lights actually are - solar wind, the magnetic field, oxygen and nitrogen at different heights giving different colours - alongside the folklore that explained them before that, from Iceland and from further north. The centrepiece is a wide screen showing time-lapse aurora filmed around the country, played in a darkened room with seating. There is a booth where you can practise the camera settings that aurora photography needs, which is more useful than it sounds given how many people get one clear night and waste it. It is a straightforward answer to a week of cloud.

What you actually see

• The physics explained - solar wind, magnetic field and the colours by altitude.
• Folklore alongside it - the explanations that came before.
• A wide screen of filmed aurora - time-lapse from around the country.
• A camera practice booth - settings worked out before the night comes.

When to go

Year round, though it matters most between September and April. An hour.

Honest expectations

This is film and interpretation, not the real thing, and it cannot substitute for a clear night. It is a paid hour in a small space. It suits families and people whose trip is being rained off. Entry is city-centre priced.

Nearby

Whales of Iceland and the Maritime Museum are on the same quay.