Dec
15
2012
Mar
31
2012
Be Blown Away by the Aurora Borealis: Nature's Fireworks
Published by Drew Tapley, Managing Editor & Writer
Country: United States 
The Experience
Does life imitate art, or art imitate life? This is a question you should not attempt to answer before witnessing the natural phenomenon of the aurora borealis: otherwise known as the northern lights. The aurora borealis is nature’s paintbrush dipped in pastel watercolours and smeared across the night sky. It’s an astronomical oil on canvas that can be seen from terra firma in most northern latitudes, such as Alaska, northern Canada, Russia and Scandinavia. The closer you can be to the Article Circle will yield the more spectacular sights. In fact, people have reported witnessing the beautiful northern lights as far down the Pacific as the Oregon sand dunes. Surely, watching the kaleidoscopic display of the aurora borealis while standing on the plankton beaches of the Pacific Ocean is as close to a supernatural experience as you could have on planet earth.
The oscillating and undulating natural wonder of the northern lights still eludes a firm scientific explanation. There are many theories of what the aurora borealis is, and modern science offers that the northern lights (aka: polar lights or polar aurora) are charged particles in the ionosphere around the northern and southern poles of the earth, which change colour due to altitude. Magnetic fields direct the motion of the charged particles, giving them the structure of a hovering curtain. At around 300 km–350 km (the edge of earth’s atmosphere), the chemical reaction peters out, and the northern lights fade from sight. Despite this explanation, or maybe in spite of it, most people seem to prefer the simpler notion that the aurora borealis is a dance of the cosmic soup. Many generations of peoples have experienced the northern lights over the years, each ascribing their own spiritual significance, and naming it accordingly.
The brightest hues are printed on Mother Nature’s apron, and the yellows, greens, reds and blues of the northern lights can be so bright as to illuminate a whole portion of the night sky, reflecting off the white snow, and casting pine trees and mountaintops into a forefront silhouette (yes… that far north!). Imagine a firework display on mute, watched by countless thousands, and free of charge. That’s the northern lights. You can’t book to see it, hire it, or take a clear photo of it without the right lens. It turns up at will, and leaves at will. But if you go to the right places, at the right time of year, such as the equinoxes— you’re almost guaranteed to see it. It’s definitely one of those things that just appears and then disappears without a trace, as fast as it came; much like a giant wave.
Oh… and it moves too. Sometimes a lot, sometimes more gently and imperceptibly, but its celestial theatrics tread the boards of the largest stage of all. The aurora borealis literally means “dawn wind,” after the Roman goddess of dawn (Aurora) and the Greek word for the northern wind (boreas), which is also the word from which the boreal forest is named: the largest and most northern evergreen forest on earth.
The southern Antarctic polar will likewise display… you’ve guessed it: the southern lights (or aurora australis). This is best seen from landmasses close to the Antarctic Circle, such as Chile and Argentina, or countries of the Oceanic continent.
The oscillating and undulating natural wonder of the northern lights still eludes a firm scientific explanation. There are many theories of what the aurora borealis is, and modern science offers that the northern lights (aka: polar lights or polar aurora) are charged particles in the ionosphere around the northern and southern poles of the earth, which change colour due to altitude. Magnetic fields direct the motion of the charged particles, giving them the structure of a hovering curtain. At around 300 km–350 km (the edge of earth’s atmosphere), the chemical reaction peters out, and the northern lights fade from sight. Despite this explanation, or maybe in spite of it, most people seem to prefer the simpler notion that the aurora borealis is a dance of the cosmic soup. Many generations of peoples have experienced the northern lights over the years, each ascribing their own spiritual significance, and naming it accordingly.
The brightest hues are printed on Mother Nature’s apron, and the yellows, greens, reds and blues of the northern lights can be so bright as to illuminate a whole portion of the night sky, reflecting off the white snow, and casting pine trees and mountaintops into a forefront silhouette (yes… that far north!). Imagine a firework display on mute, watched by countless thousands, and free of charge. That’s the northern lights. You can’t book to see it, hire it, or take a clear photo of it without the right lens. It turns up at will, and leaves at will. But if you go to the right places, at the right time of year, such as the equinoxes— you’re almost guaranteed to see it. It’s definitely one of those things that just appears and then disappears without a trace, as fast as it came; much like a giant wave.
Oh… and it moves too. Sometimes a lot, sometimes more gently and imperceptibly, but its celestial theatrics tread the boards of the largest stage of all. The aurora borealis literally means “dawn wind,” after the Roman goddess of dawn (Aurora) and the Greek word for the northern wind (boreas), which is also the word from which the boreal forest is named: the largest and most northern evergreen forest on earth.
The southern Antarctic polar will likewise display… you’ve guessed it: the southern lights (or aurora australis). This is best seen from landmasses close to the Antarctic Circle, such as Chile and Argentina, or countries of the Oceanic continent.
When to Go to Northern Lights
You will need a clear, dark sky to see the northern lights for their best performances. Places like Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Fairbanks in Alaska, or the Yukon Territory, Northwestern Territories, and northern Manitoba of Canada, are all good sighting areas. The northern coast of Siberia is also a good spot. There are few places on earth where people have reported seeing aurora borealis during the day; but the Svalbard archipelago in the northern Arctic (part of Norway) during the winter solstice, is one such report. This is because it’s dark enough during the daytime due to the “midnight sun”.
Because the sky is lighter during the summer months, the best time of year to catch a viewing of the northern lights is from late August to early April; and midnight is the best time. Keep in mind that this is also the coldest time of the year this far north, and make suitable preparations.
Because the sky is lighter during the summer months, the best time of year to catch a viewing of the northern lights is from late August to early April; and midnight is the best time. Keep in mind that this is also the coldest time of the year this far north, and make suitable preparations.
Odds n' Ends
The northern lights tend to be more frequent and extravagant during periods of peak solar sunspot activity, occurring in approximate 11-year cycles. In the summer of 1859, an auroral storm was reportedly seen as far south as Cuba; and Mexico City has also been a geographic marker for sightings.
Over the years, the aurora borealis has meant different things to different people. One legend told that the lights could reach down and snatch children away. Now, if there’s a more effective way to get your kids to bed, I’d certainly like to hear it!
http://www.drewtapley.com
Over the years, the aurora borealis has meant different things to different people. One legend told that the lights could reach down and snatch children away. Now, if there’s a more effective way to get your kids to bed, I’d certainly like to hear it!
http://www.drewtapley.com
Want a Guide?
- Yukon and Alaska Discovery - GAPAdventures.com
- Yukon! Reach the inaccessible…and go beyond. Touch the horizon. Feel the sky rest on your head. The Yukon and Alaska were created for such feelings. Come travel to a different rhythm, live under the midnight sun, away from the ordinary.
Places to Stay Nearby
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The Regency Fairbanks Hotel is a full service luxury hotel. All rooms offer a full kitchen, 2 queen size beds, and complimentary coffee. Other amenities ... 2 miles away
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The Westmark Fairbanks Hotel and Conference Center sets the standard for elegance, style, and service and is located in the heart of Fairbanks. In May ... 2 miles away
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More Experiences Nearby
- The Ice Cool World Ice Art Championships, Alaska
- You can find various ice sculpting contests in the Northern Hemisphere, but none are as cool as the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska. It’s run by the non-profit organization Ice Alaska, and is recorded as the largest ice sculpting contest in the world. Ice freezes quickly and thickly in Alaska’s interior during wintertime temperatures, adding only a very light glacial blue shade. It's so clear that you are able to read a newspaper through a four-foot ice block. Sculptors claim that Fairbanks’ ice is the finest on the planet for sculpting. Ice sculpting was recently included in the ...2 miles away.
Books and DVDs
- The Living Edens: Denali, Alaska's Great Wilderness DVD - National Geographic.com
- Beneath the Northern Lights on Mt. Denali, the highest mountain in North America, Bruce Reitherman braces himself against 40-below weather that cracks the face as well as the camera lens to capture this "living Eden" on film.
- Lonely Planet Alaska Regional Travel Guide
- Northern Lights: The Science, Myth, and Wonder of Aurora Borealis
- Secrets of the Aurora Borealis
- Alaska Geographic is an award-winning series that presents the people, places, and wonders of Alaska to the world. Over the past 30 years, Alaska Geographic has earned its reputation as the publication for those who love Alaska.
Elsewhere on the Web
Media References
- The Cold Show in Fairbanks, Alaska - NY Times.com (newspaper)
- IT was nearly midnight. The air temperature was below zero. But a few tourists and I were outside, soaking in soothing natural hot springs — close to 115 degrees.
- RESEARCHERS DRAW BACK THE CURTAIN ON THE MYSTERIOUS AURORA BOREALIS - Ny Times.com (newspaper)
- Ever since human beings first settled this region they have been awed by the aurora borealis - towering, rippling, multicolored curtains of light that often hang above this city on clear, dark nights.
- Northern Lights Q&A - NY Times.com (newspaper)
- Late fall and winter are a good time because the nights are long and dark. You also want a place where the skies tend to be clear, generally meaning away from the ocean.
- An Alaskan Hot Spot, Even at 50 Below Zero - NY Times.com (newspaper)
- Haruna and Taketoshi Harada thought about honeymooning in Paris. They considered Hawaii. But in the end, they journeyed here, to a frigid mountaintop near the Arctic Circle in Alaska, where they nuzzled at 2 o'clock the other morning while gazing at the starry dome of the sky. They were not disappointed.
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