![]() Get some rest, then wake up! Another alternative is to go to bed, and wake up early, like around 3-4am. If you are from the east coast (USA), then your bedtime is probably about 6pm Alaska time. Adjust your time zone difference as soon as possible. No picture can show you how wonderful it feels to see the aurora lights in person. You came all the way to Fairbanks, see the lights away from the city. If you are in a hotel, and get an aurora wake up call, what is your plan? To catch the lights while standing under the security lights? That is not fully taking it in. Wake up calls are ok (although commonly late, and commonly only done when the aurora is big), but just plan on being awake! Take naps. The aurora is out at night, typically in the middle of the night. One overlooked tip for seeing the aurora: you have to be awake. Consider the outskirts of North Pole or Fox if you are driving yourself. The milky way is easily seen away from town. In a darker location, you will see more structure, more color, and details in the shapes and lines of the aurora and in the stars. Even 30 miles away is close when it comes to light pollution. If you are looking to see the aurora in all it’s beauty away from city lights, then reserve a place on the outskirts of the city, like Cafego’s Aurora View Farms or Alaska Aurora Adventures. Fairbanks has light pollution, and it is getting worse every year due to changing out light fixtures to even worse light trespass and color. Light pollution will diminish your enjoyment of the aurora. You can see aurora from some hotels in town, but only if the aurora is strong, active, and overhead. You can find a place to stay without having to drive anywhere to see the aurora. You can see the aurora from SOME, not all B&B’s, no matter what their marketing photos show you. There are a few wonderful sponsors on this website that can assist you. That is when it is dark at night, and up to 24 hours of darkness. If you happen to be going to Antarctica, you will need to be there late March to late August to enjoy auroras. Australia and New Zealand in the southern hemisphere gets dark at night year-round. ![]() European examples include northern England, Ireland, and Estonia. Examples include Calgary AB, Duluth MN, Minot ND, and even Vancouver BC, away from light pollution of course. A Kp level of 5 or higher, generally, and high solar winds, may show auroras further south, where it gets dark at night. To view the aurora anytime of the year, you would need a geomagnetic storm big enough to reach down into middle latitudes. ![]() Otherwise, the aurora is actually seen year round! Aurora tour operators start up when the entire night is dark, greatly increasing your chances of being successful catching the aurora. The same goes for the end of April, the closer it gets to May, the lighter the sky from sunshine. The time it is dark enough at night is only a couple hours, so if you are traveling to Fairbanks to see the aurora, it is best to come when the dark hours are longer, creating more of a chance to see the aurora. If you are visiting right before the season begins, or right after it ends, have a look in the sky at night at the darkest time, and you might see aurora (if space weather conditions are good).įor Fairbanks, Alaska, it is dark enough to see the aurora the first week of August. For the southern hemisphere, the skies are darker the closer it gets to winter solstice in June. The sky in high latitude northern regions has 24 hours daylight during the summer, and the closer it gets to winter solstice (December) the darker it gets at night. You can see the aurora long before the “aurora season” starts. Tour operators do not want to take you out when the sky is only dark for 45 minutes, so they start and stop operating on certain dates, to give you more hours to enjoy the experience. The “season” is when the skies are dark enough to see the aurora, and also when tour operators start working. The aurora season does not start and end on a specific date abruptly, it begins and ends due to Astronomical twilight. You may see other websites and social media posts mention “aurora season”. If you want to experience the deep cold and the darkest skies, visit between Nov and Feb. If you prefer dog sled rides and frozen lakes, visit in the spring. If you prefer open water, (auroras reflecting off the water) and colorful leaves, then visit in the fall. ![]() ![]() These also happen to be the best weather months, as it is not too cold, and the roads are usually clear of ice and snow. This is due to the position of the earth, the location of the magnetic poles and the sun. The best aurora shows are said to occur during equinox, fall and spring. That is when we have dark skies at night. A good time to visit Fairbanks to see the northern lights is anytime between mid-August and mid-April. ![]()
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