A first in Lapland: a resident astronomer, a deep-space telescope, and an experience that can bring tears of joy and wonder to your eyes.
The Northern Lights top nearly every bucket list for a Lapland trip, across every nationality. But what if the aurora were only the beginning?
This winter, our partner resort Halo Igloos in Rovaniemi is launching something that has never existed in Lapland before: the Sky Odyssey, an exclusive evening experience led by astronomer Robert Johnstone, founder and CEO of Astro Star Viewing, with two decades of stargazing operations spanning from Finland to the Namibian desert, where he ran astronomy experiences for luxury lodges and served as Chairman of the Astronomy Group at the Namibian Scientific Society.
We took a moment to talk with Robert ahead of the launch.
Far beyond the aurora
Most Northern Lights tours stop at the lights themselves. The Sky Odyssey goes deeper, literally millions of light years deeper.
At the heart of the experience is a large telescope housed in its own purpose-built astronomy dock. Under clear Arctic skies, guests will observe planets, nebulas, star clusters, and entire galaxies, with Robert guiding them through everything they see:
“When you look at the Andromeda Galaxy, you’re seeing it as it was 2.5 million years ago. That really puts into perspective what you’re looking at.”
And the aurora? It remains a naked-eye spectacle, telescopes are built for deep space, not the dancing lights above. But imagine stargazing through a world-class telescope while the Northern Lights unfold overhead. As Robert put it, that combination would be an incredible experience found almost nowhere else on Earth.
A souvenir from deep space
Here is the detail I love most: during each session, a second telescope photographs the deep-space object the group is observing — for example the Orion Nebula, a stellar nursery 1,400 light years away. At the end of the evening, every guest receives a copy of that image to take home.
The man behind the telescope
Robert’s own story began with a mystery. As a teenager in 1985, he saw Halley’s Comet, and had no idea what it was. No internet, no way to Google it. So he went to the library, discovered the comet would return in 76 years, and a lifelong obsession was born. Today he runs stargazing operations in two of the world’s best dark-sky regions: Finnish Lapland and Namibia.
That spark grew into Space Observation Learning, the astronomy company he founded in 2006 and ran for over a decade in Namibia and South Africa, guiding stargazing groups under the pristine desert skies and hosting private astronomer evenings for luxury lodges and high-profile guests. Today, based in Finland, he brings that same experience north with Astro Star Viewing.
His most memorable guest reactions? “People start crying,” he says. “When someone sees the rings of Saturn for the first time, they burst into tears. They can’t believe what they’re actually seeing.”
The essentials for tour operators and travel agents
- What: Sky Odyssey: astronomer-led stargazing with deep-space telescope, plus the indoor Halo Sky exhibition
- Where: Halo Igloos, Rovaniemi (25 km from the city centre, 16 minutes from the airport)
- When: Launching winter 2026/27, offered every clear evening, with 2–3 sessions per night planned
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Group size: Approximately 20 guests per session, intimate by design
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Ages: Recommended from 5–6 years, no upper limit, genuinely multigenerational
- Language: Hosted in English
- Booking: Available now via the Halo Igloos website
- Included: Guided telescope observation, interactive exhibition, and a printed deep-space photograph from the evening for every guest
Why this matters for your Lapland programme
The northern lights are one of the biggest reasons travelers come to Lapland. But the aurora depends on solar activity, and no one can promise it on a given night. Lapland is fortunate to sit in one of the most active aurora zones in the world, yet the only guarantee in the night sky is the stars themselves. That’s where Sky Odyssey changes the conversation: it’s an astronomy experience with an aurora chance built in, not the other way around. Clear skies deliver magic. Cloudy skies still deliver a world-class exhibition. That’s a product you can sell with confidence.
What about the weather?
Unlike aurora borealis, that is dependent on the solar activity on the sky, the Halo Sky Odessey is available on more nights and even on cloudy nights, there will be a full cinematic, multimedia presentation explaining the night sky, our solar system as well as deep space. If it’s too cold outside, the telescope feed comes indoors.
No other resort in Lapland offers a resident astronomer and a dedicated deep-space telescope. For clients who have already experienced the husky safari and the snowmobile tour, this is the reason to come back.
Want to add the Sky Odyssey to your Lapland offering or learn more about Halo Igloos? Find out more info here.
Sara Snäll · Arctic Boutique Collection