The Aurora Borealis
The Aurora Borealis , or northern lights, are glimmering ribbons of
color that flash across the northern sky and
leave all who see it with a sense of wonder and
a feeling of being touched by some
mystical
force. Native Alaskans believed that the souls
of departed ancestors could be seen in the
shimmering colored bands of the northern
lights. Turn–of–the–century
prospectors held the belief that the heavenly
display was a reflection of the ultimate gold
strike "the Mother Lode".
The lights themselves are created by
electrically charged particles, drawn to
Earth's atmosphere by the magnetic field of the
North Pole. As the particles collide with the
gases in Earth's atmosphere, they become
illuminated, creating the colorful aurora
borealis.
Although the magnetic field that creates the
lights is active all year long, the long
daylight hours of summer make the lights
difficult to see. The best time to view this
spectacle in Alaska is from August to April and the best
Alaskan location for viewing is Barrow to the
north and Fairbanks to the south of the Arctic
circle.
Northern Lights
named by Galileo:
The northern lights have had a number
of names through history. The scientific name
for the phenomena is Aurora Borealis, which is
Latin and translates into the red dawn of the
north. It was the Italian scientist Galileo
Galilei (1564-1642) who first used the
expression. On the latitude where Galileo was
living, northern lights consist of mainly red
color.
Photo tips:
Digital photography is the way to go these
days. Being able to see the picture on the back
of the camera can easily tell you if you need
more exposure time or less. You will need a
camera that can stay open for 20 seconds or
more and a tripod. Set the camera lens on a
small aperture and use a cable release. Some
cameras have a remote control. Use it if you have
it. The less chance of any movement the better.
When to see them:
Best Months: The sky has to be dark which means the lights unfortunately can't be seen in summer. The best months are March and September; that's when there are: 1) frequent displays, 2) clear skies, and 3) generally mild weather.
Best Time of Day: Start looking about an hour and a half after sunset. But peak auroral activity is between 10pm and 2am solar time. Solar time is 2.5 hours after clock time during daylight savings time (April through October) and 1.5 hours after during standard daylight time (November through March). That means the best time for seeing the aurora during winter is 11:30pm-3:30 am with the peak at 1:30am. During spring and fall (September and March), the best time is 12:30am-4:30am, with the peak falling at 2:30am.
The Right Conditions: If it's clear and dark enough to see stars, there's a chance you'll be able to see the aurora. Get away from city lights and hope for a clear night-if there's a heavy overcast, you won't be able to see it. Partly cloudy skies? You have a chance, but it needs to be a strong aurora for you to see it. But even if the sky is crystal clear, auroral activity varies greatly from night to night.
Where to See the Northern Lights:
The Fairbanks area is the most likely place to see them
from on any given night. Hordes of Japanese
tourists decend on Fairbanks over the winter
just to see the Aurora Borealis. Just north of
Anchorage, away from the city lights, is a good
place too. In Alaska, they can be seen as far south as
Ketchikan.
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