Searching for the Aurora Borealis

Ever since I first heard of it I have wanted to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.  Like many people, it was quickly placed on my list of things to experience in my lifetime.  Having the chance to witness the lights in the sky was certainly one of the things I was looking forward to the most when I decided to move to Alaska.

Forecast App

Admittedly, I don't understand most of the science behind auroras, however I do know they are caused by the collision of charged particles in the thermosphere (OK, wikipedia knows that, I will forget within a week).  They are more prominent when certain types of solar events happen, and as you are probably aware, you usually can only see them in the high latitudes (Arctic and Antarctic).  The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks publishes aurora forecasts, both for the next few days and for the next hour.  They even have a handy mobile app for those of us who are completely reliant on their smart phones like me.  The anticipated activity is ranked on a 1-9 scale.  Usually the forecast needs to be at around a Level 4 (Active) before the aurora is visible in the South Central region where Anchorage resides.  Level 5 is considered Extreme Activity, and anything past that isn't really ideal for viewing in Alaska.

So, not long after moving here I started watching the forecasts and any time it looked good, I'd make plans to go and try to see it that evening.  Unfortunately, Anchorage is often overcast, and it seemed any time the forecast was great, the weather was not.  There were a few nights where it looked like the weather might cooperate though, so I bundled up, grabbed the camera and drove to locations I thought might be dark enough to see the lights.  Even though most times I struck out, I took the opportunity to snap a shot or two just to get used to taking pics in the dark, something I still need a lot of work in.

Anchorage Skyline - waiting for it to get dark enough

Night sky seen from Beluga Point along Turnagain Arm

One night I checked the short-term forecast, saw it was active, and jumped in the car.  I drove north to get the lights of Anchorage behind me, and found a nice dark place to pull off the road.  Within minutes, I was watching ribbons of light float across the sky.  It wasn't a particularly bright display (in fact the pictures show more of a green hue than what I saw), but it was still amazing to see.  I was trying to make sure I didn't waste the opportunity by staring at the settings on my camera, so the pictures I did take didn't turn out great.  However, I definitely plan on seeing more auroras, and with any luck I'll take better photos.