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Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

sleddog — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 04:06:47 GMT

i like that part in #10..."it might come down to take you"

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sleddog — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:50:45 GMT

This post has been deleted by the author

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

RFDiana — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 02:25:16 GMT

10 tips for seeing the Nothern Lights --

http://www.iglobetrotter.com/norway/northern-lights/top-ten-tips-northern-lights

1. Go North

Whereas Northern Lights has been seen as far south as the Mediterranean, this is not something that happens very often. Instead – travel north, get inside the Arctic Circle and you’re way more likely to experience the Aurora Borealis.

Read more about Northern Lights Holidays, or find out how to plan your own tailor-made Northern Lights Trip to Northern Norway.

Find and book your perfect northern lights package at Nordic Visitor.

2. Watch the Time

Northern lights activity is the greatest between 6pm and 2am in Northern Norway - so make sure you don’t exhaust yourself in the daytime.

Also – in the summertime, the midnight sun makes it difficult to see the Aurora, aim to go in between October and March to avoid disappointment.

Read our guide on when to see the northern lights.

3. Get Away from the Lights

Light pollution will make the lights harder to spot and the experience less magical. Get out of town and head somewhere rural (shouldn’t bee too difficult in Northern Norway) and you will not regret it.

Many people say that moonlight is an important factor when hunting for the northern lights. And yes, a strong full moon will cause some light pollution, but in most cases you will still be able to see northern lights clearly if they come out to play, so there is no need to book your holiday around the moon cycle.

4. Wrap Up Warm

Needless to say, staying outdoors for hours in arctic temperatures can get quite cold. Wrap up warm – and I mean WARM. How annoyed would you be if the lights appeared just after you’d thrown in the towel and returned to the warmth of the hotel?

5. Check the Forecast

To see the lights it has to be clear skies. On an overcast day there is little chance of spotting the northern lights unfortunately. But remember that the weather changes quickly in the North so don’t be too upset if the forecast looks gloomy.

There is also a northern lights forecast available, which will indicate how much activity there will be that night in the area.

Check the northern lights forecast.

6. Go with a Guide

Many local guides and photographers have chased the lights for years, and have built up an incredible reputation for finding the Aurora even on days when clouds have hung low over the hotels in town. Many guides also offer something warming to drink and will take you around to several places in search of the “tricky lady”.

7. Avoid Disappointment – Get Active

Remember, even if the skies are clear and everything is looking right, there’s never any guarantees with the northern lights. To avoid disappointment it is a good idea to plan your activities around other things, and let the northern lights be a bonus. Dog sleighing trips in the mountains, cross country skiing or snow mobile excursions are all fun and memorable experiences which will only be made more magical if the northern lights appear.

8. Leave the Camera at Home

Many people waste their time trying to secure that all important holiday snap the minute the northern lights appear. Let me tell you – forget about it. Photographing the Aurora Borealis requires specialist equipment, and you are better off just enjoying the display than fiddling with something which is deemed for failure anyway. Some of the guides offer professional equipment rental and advice on northern lights photography if you are interested.

9. Be Patient

Seeing the northern lights wouldn’t be so special if it was easy to see them. Therefore, a bit of patience and not hedging all your bets on spotting the lights is a good approach. All good things come to those who wait.

10. No mocking!

Myth has it that pointing, waving at and mocking the northern lights is not only bad luck – but it might come down to take you.

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

sleddog — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:32:28 GMT

sorry...if i knew mother nature personally...i'd ask her
but the one's we have seen can appear at any time & last from a few minutes to hours
they say that Sept & March are the best months...followed by Oct & Nov
and usually the peak hours are 10 pm till 2 am...but can happen anywhere from dusk to dawn
so i agree with you that we should all keep positive thoughts that we are fortunate to see them

did you know that only 20% of people that go to see Denali actually see the peak come out of cloud cover...good luck & positive thinking!

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

Michele-Bet — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 19:53:10 GMT

Hey Sled, Thinking positive thoughts and anticipating our good fortune of experiencing some time with the aurora magic... Do you know how long the sight lasts? It's getting difficult for Michele & I to contain our excitement!! Thanks, Bet

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

sleddog — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 19:30:03 GMT

look at today's forecast for the aurora...they can see it in Juneau...soon it will be our turn!!!

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

sleddog — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:50:35 GMT

Camille...if you're talking about the Denali/Fairbanks vacation stretcher...according to this site http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast ...there is a good chance to see them on Wednesday Sept 12...and just maybe a little on the 13th & 14th

also...one of the key words here is...luck!
and we hope to have plenty of that luck!!!

The Aurora Borealis Forecast

Camilliionaire — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 09:51:08 GMT

Unfortunately, the Aurora Borealis won't be visible from Fairbanks during your visit here, according to the USGS forecast. The Northern Lights typically arent visible until the end of September. Its possible that you will see some of the Northern Lights down in Juneau in the middle of the night(3-5 am.)

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

Azar — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 05:35:03 GMT

If we are lucky this is a great light show.

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

LezBn — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:56:37 GMT

Don't forget to check out the original link also http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

Joyce.A.1 — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:54:10 GMT

Thanks for the link. Hope we see it when we are there!

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

Moonrigger — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:38:24 GMT

Was on the net and found some spectacular photos of the aurora borealis......go to

http://www.auroraborealisyukon.com/

Click on "View the online Auroracast now" (for the ongoing forcast), then

Click on "Photographs" .........be ready to gasp!

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

LezBn — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:31:45 GMT

Good deal!

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

RFDiana — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:26:19 GMT

It's the power of positive thoughts working it's majic

Re: The Aurora Borealis Forecast

Tink — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:40:16 GMT

LOL! Loving this thread!

Watching accuweather myself.

Actually saw the aurora B, when I was a kid! There was some odd meteorological event that cause the aurora B to be visible in the north east, years and years ago. It was incredible. It would be fabulous to see in the north west!!