![\"Aurora](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Aurora-on-a-horse-farm-in-Iceland_Stephanie-Vermillion.jpg\"\/)
Aurora on a horse farm in Iceland (Photo: Stephanie Vermillion)
\n1. Go North<\/p>\n
The aurora occurs when charged particles from the sun get trapped in Earth\u2019s magnetic field. They\u2019re then funneled toward the geomagnetic north and south poles, where the protons and electrons interact with gases in the atmosphere, triggering that kaleidoscopic sky dance we trot the globe to see.<\/p>\n
This colorful reaction occurs in a donut shape above the geomagnetic poles. This region, known as the auroral oval, spans from roughly 60 to 70 degrees north and south latitudes. That\u2019s around the latitude of my favorite aurora-hunting perches like Fairbanks, Alaska; South Greenland; and Iceland (the entire island is within the oval).<\/p>\n
During periods of strong geomagnetic activity, like those we\u2019ve recently experienced<\/a>, that oval can swell and bring lights further south. Contiguous U.S. aurora sightings<\/a> are especially likely in the upper Great Lakes and Maine.<\/p>\n But if aurora sightings (I\u2019m talking true, naked-eye sightings) top your bucket list, I recommend traveling within the auroral oval. The lights are much likelier and more visible here. Just make sure you\u2019re far from city lights, because light pollution can hinder the show.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the likelihood of a sighting up north? It depends on cloud cover, solar activity, and the sun\u2019s cycle, but for scale, I took four northern lights trips in 2025\u2014Yukon, Canada; Alaska; Churchill, Manitoba; and that family Iceland trip\u2014and I saw the lights every single night we had clear skies.<\/p>\n Here are some of the best places in the world<\/a> to see the aurora.<\/p>\n 2. Monitor Geomagnetic Activity<\/p>\n To see the aurora borealis, you need at least some geomagnetic activity. This often follows a coronal mass ejection, when the sun belches heaps of charged particles, carried by solar wind through space.<\/p>\n Kp is one measure of geomagnetic activity; it\u2019s on the scale from Kp 0 (quiet aurora) to Kp 9 (an absolute, get-outside-now bonanza). Most nights average anywhere from Kp 1 to Kp 3; even with that level of activity, you can enjoy a spectacular show up north. And a word of warning: Kp is just a starting point. Several other figures are much better, and more immediate, indicators of what could come.<\/p>\n For starters, look at the Bz. When we have a negative Bz, the solar wind\u2019s magnetic field is oriented south, so it connects to Earth\u2019s northward-facing magnetic field, improving the odds for a powerful display. Solar wind speed is also important. Faster wind can up your aurora-spotting odds, too.<\/p>\n I measure this with the app Space Weather Live<\/a>, which also sends alerts following major CMEs and another aurora trigger, coronal holes, a dark region of the sun that emits solar material in high speeds. If you\u2019re wondering what the aurora looks like at a certain time, other apps like My Aurora Forecast offer real-time webcams for lights-monitoring, too.<\/p>\n 3. Understand Substorms<\/p>\n The aurora isn\u2019t sashaying at full blast all night. It typically undulates through periods of intensity, although some especially strong storms can trigger a nonstop flurry from sunset onward.<\/p>\n In most cases, though, the lights start as a mild arc along the north horizon. Your camera will show it glowing green, but it looks like a broad white cloud to the unaided eye. Over the course of minutes or hours, this arc can grow and move until a substorm sparks; that\u2019s when the lights are at their boldest and most saturated. These last anywhere from around 10 to 30 minutes before mellowing out to recharge and start again in anywhere from roughly 1 to 3 hours.<\/p>\n To keep an eye on possible substorm timing, I use the Glendale website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Apps are a great starting point, but if I\u2019m within the auroral oval on a night with clear skies, I\u2019m not looking at apps or webcams as much as I\u2019m watching the skies with my own two eyes. That\u2019s why I get picky about my aurora-hunting accommodations.<\/p>\n I need a perch far from light pollution with wide-open nightscapes; a thick forest can make it hard to see the lights. I also love lights-chasing accommodations with a little something special\u2014a hot spring to make observing extra cozy or oversized windows to watch the lights from bed.<\/p>\n The options abound, but here are a few of my favorites:<\/p>\n Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Alaska, which I recommend for any first-time chasers, since they have not only sky-view igloos to watch the aurora between bedsheets, but a complimentary northern lights wake-up call so you don\u2019t miss the show. 5. Know When to Go<\/p>\n In the far north, the aurora season runs from fall to spring. The swirls still happen during the summer, but you can\u2019t see them in places like Fairbanks due to the midnight sun. But during the warmer months, you can still aurora chase in the contiguous U.S. Places like Michigan\u2019s Upper Peninsula enjoy darkness, even in summer, so you can watch the northern lights in nothing but a T-shirt and shorts. (Here\u2019s how<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Another thing to improve your odds: travel around the equinoxes. Geomagnetic activity often sees an uptick in the weeks around the spring and autumn equinoxes, so I try to plan my trips accordingly, with many spring and fall outings.<\/p>\n Timing also includes the hour on the clock. In general, activity peaks between 10 P.M. and 2 A.M. local time, although that varies by location. In places like Alaska, I learned, the best shows often happen in the pre-dawn hours\u2014around 1 to 4 A.M. Many people often miss the lights because of this, so make sure to set a few early alarms, or stay in digs with aurora wake-up calls. Better yet: book a tour.<\/p>\n 6. Monitor Weather (Especially Clouds)<\/p>\n You need at least partly clear skies to see the northern lights. As a good rule of thumb: if you can see stars, you could see aurora. The far north does tend to get cloudy, so it\u2019s important to have apps like Windy.com<\/a> handy to track forecasts and cloud cover. Just know that areas like Iceland and Greenland have unpredictable weather. Cloud forecasts can change on a dime, and they\u2019re only accurate about a day in advance.<\/p>\n During especially uncooperative weather trips, I use the Windy app to scout cloud breaks, then plot my evening about driving to those potential holes. Of course, bad weather is inevitable, so I try to give myself a minimum of three nights, although the more days, the better.<\/p>\n 7. Learn Solar Cycle 101<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve researched anything about aurora hunting recently, you\u2019ve probably heard that we\u2019re in the decade\u2019s peak of lights activity. What does that mean\u2014and is now the only time you can see them? Not really, but it is a great time to plan a trip if you\u2019re able.<\/p>\n The sun runs through roughly 11-year phases of activity, known as the solar cycle. During the peak, known as solar maximum, the aurora activity ramps up. We\u2019re currently in the solar maximum phase, and it\u2019s been a prolific one, with more northern lights sightings than I can count.<\/p>\n That said, the auroras don\u2019t simply disappear after this. You can still get exceptional displays within the auroral oval, and even further south in places like the Great Lakes, during solar minimum. In fact, many of the strongest solar storms on record have occurred during this milder phase, but the likelihood of witnessing a powerful, naked-eye-visible aurora is especially high right now, given the sun\u2019s tumultuousness.<\/p>\n 8. Learn from the Experts<\/p>\n I\u2019m a travel journalist, photographer, and self-taught aurora hunter, but I\u2019m not an astrophysicist. While I have my system pretty down pat, I still look to the scientists for real-time tips and advice. For example, professional aurora hunter Vincent Ledvina<\/a> shares aurora updates and analysis on Instagram, which is especially helpful following a CME.<\/p>\n Many aurora experts also gather at the Aurora Summit<\/a> in the upper Great Lakes every November for a weekend of education and hands-on chasing. I attended and spoke in 2025, and greatly upped my intel, including how to track those coveted substorms.<\/p>\n Or, maybe you want to see the lights without all of this DIY hassle. I hear you. It\u2019s a lot. For that, I highly recommend booking a guide with someone who knows how to do the chasing\u2014even better if it\u2019s with an Indigenous northern lights hunter in Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Aurora](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Aurora-over-Brooks-Range-at-Arctic-Hive-in-Wiseman-Alaska-Stephanie-Vermillion.jpg\"\/)
Aurora over Brooks Range at Arctic Hive in Wiseman Alaska (Photo: Stephanie Vermillion)
\n4. Choose Accommodations Wisely<\/p>\n
\nArctic Hive in Wiseman, Alaska, which I visited as part of a yoga retreat above the Arctic Circle<\/a>. This getaway is truly off-grid with no electricity. Light pollution is nonexistent, and watching the lights shimmy above the Brooks Range is well worth the eight-hour drive from Fairbanks.
\nTundra Lodge in Churchill, Manitoba\u2014aka the \u201cpolar bear capital of the world\u201d\u2014is another favorite. This train-car-style rover, run by Natural Habitat Adventure, has private bunk rooms and observation decks to watch for the aurora and polar bears, with bear safaris by day, too.
\nHotel Arctic in Ilulissat is among the best luxury getaways in Greenland, with glass-walled cabins to watch for scribbles zipping above icebergs\u2014all without leaving bed.<\/p>\n