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Best places to see the northern lights: Aurora borealis
Best places to see the northern lights
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Photo:
NASA/U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman Joshua Strang
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rrrobertsson
Oct 26 2012 at 12:16 PM
Of course Iceland is the best choice to see it. There are endless other nature pearls you can look at while you wait for the lights to show up. Check out more here: http://www.northernlightsiceland.com/
yarimot
Oct 17 2012 at 11:55 AM
...as far south as the northern United States... You should add a word so as not to offend us Alaskans, (continental), because last time I checked we are part of the United States. The two things that get our goat the most are omitting us from the Union and calling on the phone thinking we are in Arkansas,(AK-Alaska, AR-Arkansas). That said, with a laugh, yes, 'the light are quite nice this year. My house sits perfectly for viewing and even after many years they will keep me up watching them,
.... More
the best time is at around 2 in the morning it seems.
TL-Fairbanks, AK
anonymous
Oct 26 2012 at 3:27 PM
I believe the article does specify the lower 48. I've always believed contiguous means just that.
Depending on conditions and visibility, the aurora borealis can be seen as far south as the northern contiguous United States.
Guest
Oct 26 2012 at 11:26 PM
Thanks for pointing this out, but I think the wording was changed 'after' I made the comment. I'm perfectly aware of what contiguous means.
Amazing aurora borealis
One of nature's most spectacular phenomena is the aurora borealis, colloquially referred to as the northern lights. Caused by geomagnetic storms in the outer sections of the Earth's atmosphere, these amazing light shows are most visible in the autumn and winter, when the Northern Hemisphere’s nights are at their longest. Many people would not even be aware of these nature-made fireworks if not for the pictures sometimes published on the Internet and in glossy magazines like National Geographic. These photographs are usually taken north of the Arctic Circle, where the northern lights are at their brightest.
Depending on conditions and visibility, the aurora borealis can be seen as far south as the northern contiguous United States. Sightings are not guaranteed, however, and even aurora-seekers in places like Maine and Michigan's Upper Peninsula can go a year or longer without seeing the even faintest glow in the northern sky. Alaska is the American northern lights destination of choice. Around the world, other hotspots like northern Scandinavia and Greenland draw serious aurora-seekers because of their consistently clear skies and the brightness of the lights.
Want to see the northern lights this year? Your chances are good even if you can’t make it as far north as the Arctic Circle. Scientists hypothesize that the strength of these natural light shows waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle, and the winter of 2012-2013 is expected to bring near-peak viewing conditions. If you want to see the aurora borealis at their most spectacular this year, travel to one of these six destinations. (Text: Josh Lew)
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