Since I saw photos of this so called
aurora borealis or
the northern lights it became one of my illusive dreams to see this one in person. I want to be one of the witnesses of the astounding beauty of the most magical creation of God during the night.
The northern lights, aurora borealis, are an incredibly amazing display of nature, which can only really be appreciated in person.There are several countries in which it is possible to see the northern lights, and the 'best' of these is often argued. Clarity, brightness and awe-inspiring value of the lights is dependant almost completely on the time of year, weather and several other environmental factors. This can be another hurdle in deciding where to go.
According to science the cause of northern lights is that our sun is continually spewing positive ions (positively charged parts of atoms) into space due to the nuclear processes that keep it burning.
The flow of ions, which occurs in all directions, is called the Solar Wind and is actually a stream of protons, or hydrogen nuclei. When the particles that make up this wind near the Earth, they tend to be funneled toward the Earth’s poles by Earth’s magnetic field. When they reach our atmosphere, they are moving fast they knock electrons out of atoms in the upper atmosphere.
When those loose electrons are caught by another atom, light is emitted. The color of light depends on the type of gas, or atoms, involved. Each type of gas emits a characteristic color when it captures an electron.
Green is oxygen, red hydrogen, and blue nitrogen.
This light is what we see as the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. They are called Northern Lights because the poles of the Earth’s magnetic field are near the north and south poles. Light seen around the south pole are called the Southern Lights or the Corona Borealis.
Sometimes, the flow of ions from the sun gets stronger, and the Northern Lights can reach closer to the equator then they might otherwise. Last June and November had spectacular displays because the sun was in one of its active phases. It was so intense that even people as far south as Texas and Tennessee saw the lights. This activity cycle is a long one (about 11 years), so keep your eyes on the sky this summer.
These are the best places where you will be able to see the northern lights.
Alaska is one of the best places to go —
http://www.travelalaska.com/ — where clicking on "Winter Vacations" will take you to "Northern Lights Viewing," a directory of several tour companies and resorts that specialize in showing you the lights in comfort. For an unfortunately brief glimpse of the show, visit their "Alaska Photo Gallery" and search for the lights. Check out "Travel Specials" to see if anything suits your plans.
You could also head inland to Fairbanks —
http://www.explorefairbanks.com/ — which claims to be one of the best spots around for seeing the aurora; look for the entry under "Features" on the left of the page. And while you're in the state, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race — http://www.iditarod.com/ — coming up on March 1, might give you a reason to visit more of Alaska.
There's even an Aurora Forecast —
http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/ — from the University of Alaska Fairbanks to give you a hint of what could be coming, but it's only a short-term forecast.
Next door to Alaska in Canada, the Yukon —
http://www.travelyukon.com/en/ — has more opportunities for aurora-viewing travel. Click on "Outdoor Adventure" to "Aurora Viewing" for links to tour companies and a resort at the city of Whitehorse. Check out "Plan Your Trip" for travel packages, airlines and travel tips, including licenses for hunting and fishing. A service not listed on the Yukon web site, Aurora Borealis & Northern Lights Tours Yukon —
http://www.auroraborealisyukon.com/ — has a collection of tours, their own aurora forecast page, and a video (really a slide show with an annoying sound track).
A little more out of the way, in Canada's Northwest Territories, the city of Yellowknife —
http://www.northernfrontier.com/ — has "Things To Do" that include admiring the Northern Lights. It modestly says the city is "the best location in the world" for seeing the lights. The place can get nasty cold — minus 40, which they call "crisp" — but that's not enough to keep away thousands of aurora watchers. And there's a link to the local aurora forecast.
A bit farther south, in the province of Alberta, Fort McMurray —
http://www.fortmcmurraytourism.com/ — opens its "Northern Lights" page with a sample from Robert Service's poem of the same name. Along with links to a couple of tour companies with "Aurora' in their names, there's a pretty video if you don't mind the long download time.
Closer to the U.S. Northeast, the mining town of Fermont —
http://www.caniapiscau.net/tourism/index.html — says its isolation in northern Quebec and low level of light pollution make it a great place to see the aurora. Isolated, yes, but you can get there by train; click on "Access to the Area." Don't fancy a winter visit to this outpost? Browse "Activity" for information on fishing and hunting.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your
ticket 
and catch a flight now to witness its astounding beauty.
