Heavenly phenomena…
The most spectacular light show on Earth is a cold climate phenomenon: the Aurora Borealis. In Canada it’s usually referred to as the Northern Lights. The Aurora Borealis occurs when particles become energized from the sun and collide with gaseous particles in the atmosphere. Wavy and swirling patterns of neon greens and purples illuminate the night sky. Auroras mostly commonly appear near to the arctic regions of the planet where the magnetic poles draw the energized particles from space. Though technically not a winter phenomenon, the long dark of winter in the north makes it an ideal season for viewing the light show.
It’s a dream of mine to see the Aurora Borealis, and even though I live in Canada, a pretty northern place, I have yet to observe it. I’ve considered booking a trip to Whitehorse in winter just for a chance to catch the sight. Luminescence is wonderous, and I find the idea of a sky filled with moving light over the snowy white ground to be particularly intriguing. Though I’ve heard it’s not really practical to plan a trip to see the Northern Lights. The phenomenon depends on solar activity which we have yet to precisely predict far enough out to plan vacations around. No, it’s better to take a temporary position in Alaska or northern Manitoba or Iceland and stay for the whole winter if you want a guarantee. I found a great article on traveling to see the northern lights from experienced adventurers. They have some great recommendations for approaches and places where you might luck out: https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/northern-lights/
The article linked above suggests a few web cams for remote viewing of the auroras. I tired the Fairbanks, Alaska cam last night and was graced with a lovely view of pinkish streaks mingled with brighter greens. Check it out here: https://explore.org/livecams/aurora-borealis-northern-lights/aurora-cam
I’ll be keeping the post short today, but as I write I’m realizing that winter has hardly begun and there’s plenty of opportunity to make a trip hoping to the see the Northern Lights in 2026! A quick internet search revealed that 2026 is predicted to be one of the best years in a decade to see the Northern Lights. Apparently we are approaching a “solar maximum” during which time the sun will be extra energetic. It’s rumored that the Northern Lights are visible from where I live in the Pacific Northwest. But I’ve lived in this region for most of my life, and I’ve never seen the Northern Lights. What I have seen plenty of are clouds. So whether it’s true or not, there’s not much chance I’ll see the Aurora Borealis here. Perhaps it’s time for a January or February tip to Fairbanks or Whitehorse.
For more Aurora Borealis inspiration, here’s a video from one of my favorite YouTube creators who lives in Sweden and filmed the Northern Lights near her home in a stunningly edited and commentated little film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-TV_6eIDxw
Leave a Reply