To see the northern lights you need dark skies and from early april until late august the aurora may be blazing across the arctic firmament but it is visible only to scientific equipment as the skies are just too light for the human eye to see the show.
Best time to see northern lights in alaska august 2018.
For example the summer may be a good time for a vacation but a better time to see auroras is actually between winter and spring.
The best time to view the streaky colorful lights is between 9 00 p m.
Now that you know when and where to go to see the northern lights you can start preparing to enjoy the incredible experience.
Read on to find out when and where to see the northern lights.
Aurora borealis season in northern polar latitudes alaska northern canada greenland iceland norway sweden finland and siberia runs from august thru april.
There are many different ways you can hunt for the aurora.
Northern lights in fairbanks.
Hello my husband and i are about to plan a one week trip to alaska this august but are confused about which week to choose for the visit.
It s possible to see the northern lights any time of year on the north shore of lake superior but they are more often seen in winter due to the long nights.
It s no surprise that with fairbanks location it is frequently referred to as the best place to see the northern lights in alaska the united states and in many cases across the globe.
The viewing season lasts almost seven months so the best time to seek the aurora really depends upon what else you want to do during your visit.
When is the best time to see the aurora.
These are the nights with darkness in them.
Combine that with a higher chance of clear skies in alaska during spring and march at an inland location is the best time and place to maximize your chances of seeing the northern lights from alaska.
Depending upon cloud cover and weather alaska nights can be dark enough to highlight great auroras between mid august through mid april.
This makes april through september the best time to cruise to alaska to see the northern lights especially near the autumnal and vernal equinoxes when activity peaks.
Combine that with a higher chance of clear skies in alaska during spring and march at an inland location will likely be the best time and place to maximize your chances of seeing the northern lights.