Best Views of Aurora Borealis

My first hand experiences are from Alaska, but here's some things that are broadly applicable. It's all a matter of preparing yourself to be in the right place at the right time. First off, your best chances of seeing the lights are in the winter. Don't plan on seeing them at any other time. Second, use this website: http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/auroraforecast/ It will show you what chances you have of seeing the lights on a given night, depending on the location. Third, on a night with a prediction of high aurora activity for your location AND a prediction for clear skies, drive outside of town and find a dark place with relatively unobstructed views of the horizon. Sit there and wait for the show to begin. In a month of staying near Fairbanks, I saw the lights 4 times. 3 out of those 4 times, I had to make a concerted effort (for the 4th, I got lucky and saw them by chance while driving). Two other nights that I tired to see the lights, they didn't show up. And note- even though I only saw the aurora 4 times, there may have been more displays throughout that month that I missed (a guy's gotta sleep sometimes...). So overall, if you want to see the lights, you have to place yourself in an optimal area and plan to stay in the region for at least several nights in a row. If you only block out one night on your itinerary, you probably won't see them.

I lived in Fairbanks for 8 years so I guess that counts as experience! Fairbanks is a great place to see the aurora because it is clear so much of the time, even in winter. However, there is a great deal of variation from year to year. In other words, some years are much better than others, depending on th esolar wind. And the aurora itself can vary a lot. The multi-colored dancing lights are the best, but sometimes it is just a green glow. We kept a hammock set up outside so we could watch in comfort. That website that Tom gave you (above) is the best source I know for learning about the aurora. Dig around in the FAQ's and you'll see that we are coming to the end of a period of very low solar activity (meaning low aurora frequency). I believe this low point started in 2005 or 2006 and is expected to end in 2010. Then things are supposed to pick up again. So waiting a year or two might improve your chances. As for what month is best, I "feel" like we saw more in February than other times, but I didn't keep records. Read Bill Bryson's account of traveling to Hamarfest in Norway to see the aurora if you are tempted to go there. I believe he was stuck there for a week or so, always, cloudy, and he never saw it. And then there's the cost of getting to Norway versus Alaska.

Sadly, I've not seen the Aurora Borealis anywhere. But someday I will go to Scotland in winter and hope that this will be one of my highlights. ; ) I found this site, http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch/ from Lancaster University which watches for the Aurora. I found another page that was promoting self-catering cottages in Scotland, but refers you to Michigan Tech for more aurora watch! ; ) http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/And MTU refers you to NOAA for forecasts. http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/ Have fun. Pam

I should add that I have also been to Norway in the winter (only a week), but never saw the aurora there. As for the "front row" seats, both Reykjavik, Iceland and Trondheim, Norway are at about the same latitude as Fairbanks (64 degrees N.) But the interior location of Fairbanks makes it nearly a desert in climate terms (annual precip is around 15 inches total). So the sky is more often clear than places nearer the ocean. But Iceland or Norway may be more interesting as places to visit.

We live at 62 degrees N latitude (similar to Fairbanks, Alaska) A lot of seeing the northern lights is just looking: 1989-1993 we didn't have an indoor bathroom, but I noticed the lights maybe 40x a year. ;-) Back then I saw the lights shine red several times a year!
Now I notice the lights 3-10 nights a year. One of the less publicized drawbacks to indoor plumbing.

I saw it when I was about 12 from Seattle just to give you some hope . I saw it also from a crossing to england by plane .

<<If the conditions are right (for the Aurora Borealis to be active), get a window seat on the left side of the plane going toward Europe. The great circle route to Europe takes you well to the North and will give you a nice view.>> Brad, that's a great piece of advice - thanks!

I've seen the Aurora Borealis in Spokane as well as in Canada. I flew in the Air Force, you can see it well from the air (although it's not as impressive as looking up at it). If the conditions are right (for the Aurora Borealis to be active), get a window seat on the left side of the plane going toward Europe. The great circle route to Europe takes you well to the North and will give you a nice view.