There's something strange happening about 60 miles above our planet. The northern lights — also called the aurora borealis — are back. A new solar cycle means that they will be more frequent, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. So what's going on?
When is northern lights season?
There is no official season since the northern lights are almost always present, day and night. Caused by charged particles from the sun hitting atoms in Earth's atmosphere and releasing photons, it's a process that happens constantly. However, they most often occur around 65º to 70º North latitudes — the Arctic Circle — which only gets significant darkness between September and March. Hence that's the observing season in places like Alaska, northern Canada, Iceland, Lapland (northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland), and northern Russia.
The more intense the solar wind coming our way (which is caused by explosions on the sun that release charged particles), the likelier it is to be visible at much lower latitudes.
When are the best times of the year to see the northern lights?
Talk to anyone in the "aurora zone" — on the Arctic Circle — and they'll report seeing them even in August and May. However, the very best time for increased geomagnetic activity seems to be the equinoxes. That's because Northern Lights displays are all about the direction of the solar wind and how it interacts with Earth. During the equinoxes, in March and September, the position of the Earth's axis relative to the sun puts it side-on to the solar wind. That can mean more interaction with charged particles along the Earth's magnetic lines, and hence more activity. But stronger displays are not a certainty.
In practical terms, a lack of moonlight (as well as clear skies) is just as important if you want to observe the northern lights. So be sure to sync your trip north with the phases of the Moon; aim for the week before the New Moon and the three days afterward.
What time of night do the northern lights appear?
Seeing the northern lights can take a lot of dedication since they can appear at any time of night. It's likely that wherever you go to see the northern lights a local guide or hotelier will tell you that they always appear at a specific time. This is a habit of people who tend to go out at the same time of night and see them repeatedly. There is no science behind this. They really are as likely to appear at 5 a.m. as at 11 p.m. and they happen during the day, too. It's just that we cannot see them because the sunlight completely overwhelms them. So keep your boots by your bed and wake yourself up every hour during the night to check for activity — that's an inconvenient, but highly effective way of finding them if you're staying somewhere under a dark sky where you can look out of the window. Travelers who get themselves to the Arctic Circle then insist on sleeping during the night are the people who miss out on seeing them and complain that there was no activity.
What is solar minimum?
The sun has a cycle of roughly 11 years, within which it reaches a point where it's at its fiercest and most active (cue frequent geomagnetic storms). That's called solar maximum, which last happened in 2014. The sun also reaches a point where it calms down and has the fewest explosions on its surface — so, sends the fewest charged particles towards Earth — which is known as solar minimum. Solar maximum is next due in 2025.
So should I wait until 2025 to see the northern lights?
No. Huge geomagnetic storms, the kind that can cause very intense displays of the northern lights, don't happen every night, even during solar maximum. During solar minimum, they still happen, just less frequently. It's all about luck, and whenever you go on a northern lights hunt, you're very likely to see some kind of display of the northern lights if the sky is clear. So you can ignore worries about solar minimum; it only slightly reduces your chances of seeing something incredible. It's cloud, not the sun's activity, that's your real enemy.
To see the Northern Lights, the sky needs to be dark and clear of any clouds. Some people claim the aurora comes out when temperatures are colder, but this isn't the case – it's just that when the skies are cloudless, temperatures tend to drop.
Have you ever wondered how the Northern Lights come to be? Well, here's how it works. The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis are created when the sun sends solar winds toward the Earth. These solar winds are made of charged particles that collide in the Earth's atmosphere with gas particles and create streaks of light.
The northern lights depend on a favorable solar weather forecast and also the right atmospheric conditions. They require a clear, dark, ideally moonless sky, a northerly latitude, and a lot of patience. They're better viewed in fall, winter, and spring, thanks to longer hours of darkness.
Most commonly the aurora seen will be green or whitish, but depending on the strength of the activity, pinks and reds are also visible to the... Yes. Most commonly the aurora seen will be green or whitish, but depending on the strength of the activity, pinks and reds are also visible to the naked eye.
To observe the northern lights, you need to have a dark night sky. It needs to be dark enough so you can see the stars in the sky. Ideally, you want to be as far away from light as possible. This means getting out of the city and finding somewhere pitch black.
The aurora often occur for a few glorious minutes at a time. A good display may last between 15 and 30 minutes, although if you're really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer. To see the Northern Lights, the sky needs to be dark and clear of any clouds.
If you're planning an aurora-viewing trip, the best time is throughout the winter months. Anytime between late September to late March is a good time for northern lights hunting as the long nights provide ample aurora viewing opportunities.
Do the Northern Lights appear every night? No, Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) don't appear nightly; their occurrence depends on solar activity, geomagnetic conditions, and atmosphere. While they can be frequent near the Arctic Circle during high solar activity, they're not consistently visible.
In general, look to the north although it could be overhead or elsewhere. In general, for the best chance of sighting an aurora, try to look during the hours around local midnight (22:00-02:00). However geomagnetic activity can happen at any time!
The appearance of the Northern Lights was a bad omen. Thought to be the souls of the dead, the Sámi believed you shouldn't talk about the Northern Lights. It was also dangerous to tease them by waving, whistling, or singing under them, as this would alert the lights to your presence.
A little known fact about Aurora Chasing in the U.S.: During weak to average displays, you can't see the Northern Lights with the unaided eye. That's right. Too often, you can't even see the Aurora!
The simple answer is because human eyes can't see the relatively "faint" colors of the aurora at night. Human eyes have cones and rods — the cones work during the day and the rods work at night.
The lights are caused by the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the sun's atmosphere that enter the earth's atmosphere. A solar flare (energetic particles from the sun) floats through space on the solar wind, eventually penetrating the Earth's magnetic field.
The Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, appear in a clear night sky as swirling rivers of greenish-blue light. They move and dance unpredictably; sometimes barely perceptible, then suddenly growing vivid. In simple terms, the auroras can be explained as an interaction of the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field.
Auroras occur when these charged particles launched along Earth's magnetic field collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere. Those collisions produce tiny flashes that fill the sky with colourful light. This light works the same way as a neon lamp or an old cathode ray tube television set.
The northern lights are created when energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph), but our planet's magnetic field protects us from the onslaught.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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