The Blue Hole of Absiko is a meteorological phenomenon that owes its existence to the jet stream and prevailing winds that blow in from the Arctic Ocean in a westerly direction. The reliability of these stable westerly winds means that for the majority of the aurora season, the wind blows in the same direction over Abisko, creating a prevailing weather pattern known as a microclimate.

When the prevailing winds from the Arctic Ocean meet the tall mountains just over Sweden’s border with Norway, moist air is blocked by the mountains creating a rain shadow above Abisko. This effectively tears a 10-20 square kilometer “Blue Hole” in the clouds above Abisko and provides a window to the stars even on the cloudiest of nights.