![]() This site is fantastic and will not only provide you with the graphs and maps needed to understand when the Aurora are coming, but also does a great job of explaining what is happening and why. As a tip, just like any weather forecast, there is no guarantee that this is entirely active.Īnother great option (especially for those of you who get really passionate about things that interest them – nerds like me) is. If you play with the arrows above the map on the right, you can see the 6 hour, 24 hour, and 48 hour forecast. The easiest site to read comes from none other than the Canadian Government! With a simple set of colour coded bar graphs and a map to help you locate yourself (Superior Country sits mostly in the “Sub-auroral zone”), you can increase your chances of catching a great show! Space weather!!!! Option 1: Space Weather Canada Just like checking your favourite weather forecast about a coming snow storm, there are online forecasts for solar wind storms. These electrified sun burps (CMEs) take about 2 to 3 days to reach Earth… and scientists know they are coming almost instantly. ![]() The Northern Lights we see are the interaction of the gasses in our atmosphere and these electrified particles from the sun. Every little while, the sun “burps” a huge amount of these electrified particles towards the earth (called a Coronal Mass Ejection or CME). The sun is constantly bombarding the earth with “Solar Winds” of electrified particles. Northern Lights, even though they are best seen at night, come from the sun. I’m definitely not a scientist, but here’s a photographer’s explanation (for whatever that’s worth). Well, here’s the spoiler… they are not magic… they just look like it. Time enough to be in the perfect spot to enjoy them for the evening, time enough to have gotten the kids or that special someone in your life ready for the show, time to have gotten ready to be out camping in the northern wilds. In all cases, imagine if you could have known they were coming a few days in advance. So… I’m guessing that most readers of this article who have seen Northern Lights have either been lucky enough to look up while out in the northern wilderness, gotten a call from a friend to “go look outside”, or saw a faintly washed out view of them amongst the streetlights surrounding their backyard. I’m sorry if this article takes away a little of the magic, but I don’t think that any level of understanding will ever take away the childlike awe that strikes anyone who sees them, whether it’s your first time or your 100 th. They are far more rewarding than anything that can be seen on Netflix, and you don’t have to be “lucky” to catch them. Dancing ribbons and spikes of glowing energy in the sky, they are the last glimpse of Disney-level wonder, as we grow up and realize that all the fantastic magic of our young imaginations was going to require a Netflix subscription to see now.īut the Northern Lights are very much a part of living and visiting the North. I am sure you would agree with me, if you have ever seen them, it’s impossible to forget your first time. In addition to a moonless, clear night, you need open views to the North and Northeast.One of the greatest treats of living in or visiting Lake Superior, is a chance to see the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights. #Northern lights forecast minnesota freeRainy Lake and Voyageurs National Park are ideal places to watch northern lights because of the area’s miles of wilderness that is free from the light pollution present in cities. You can determine which nights have better chances by checking out “aurora forecasts” online such as the one from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. ![]() ![]() Auroras seem to be more active near the first day of spring and fall, and your chances of seeing them are best when there are more hours of darkness. The best time to see them is when the arrival of the solar radiation and particles corresponds with an evening when moonlight is at a minimum and the weather is clear. It’s been estimated that the northern lights can be seen 200 times per year in Northern Minnesota. ![]()
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