Tips if You Want to See the Northern Lights

Photo: United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang/Wikimedia Commons

If seeing the Northern Lights is on your bucket list, here are some tips for how you can make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Try More Than Once

When you go to see the Northern Lights, make sure you go out and look for them on every night of your trip. That’ll increase your chances of getting lucky with the weather and spotting the lights when they’re at their best.

Go in September to Mid-March

The sky has to be dark for you to be able to see the Northern Lights, which means summer isn’t the best time to go. Head out in fall or winter for the best light conditions.

Use an App

Trying to predict the Northern Lights yourself is a hard task to succeed at. Save yourself the calculations and trust the experts. Check the Aurora Forecast app, which will do all the work of predicting aurora activity level for you.

Get Away From the City

Light pollution from big cities will make it harder to see the Northern Lights, so do yourself a favor and go aurora hunting in a more rural or less populated area.