How to watch the northern lights

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, occur when particles from the solar wind interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere. The solar wind particles are protons and electrons. These particles are charged. Most are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field, but some are funneled toward the magnetic poles. They collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, knocking away electrons from these atoms to leave ions in excited states. These ions emit radiation at various wavelengths, creating the characteristic colors (red and greenish blue) of the aurora.

The northern lights occur in a region called the auroral oval, which is located at high latitudes. Alaska in the U.S., the Yukon Territory and Nunavut in Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and Siberia in Russia are usually the best places to see the northern lights. However, during brief periods of intense solar activity, the auroral oval gets larger and moves south so that people at midlatitude locations such as the continental United States can see the northern lights. The most recent solar cycle peak began in 2024 and lasted into 2025, resulting in spectacular auroral displays.

One can keep abreast of possible auroral displays by checking the Space Weather Prediction Center’s website. If an aurora is predicted, it can best be seen away from city lights and by looking north. If you have a phone camera with a long-exposure mode, you can take photos of the northern lights that show features the naked eye does not see.