Northern Lights enter active period

It’s time for the bright lights to shine high above as the year’s aurora season begins in the northern hemisphere.

Across the northern hemisphere auroras are best seen between September and April, and the further north you give the better chance of witnessing the phenomena.

It is possible to see an aurora away from the far north of the U.S. but it requires some luck. Most major cities have too much light pollution so national parks and rural landscapes along the Canadian - U.S. border are ideal.

The Northern Lights can descend over the northern U.S. during times of increased solar activity, for example during geomagnetic storms.

During these storms, the Sun sends tremendous amounts of solar materials from coronal mass ejections or sunspots which react with the magnetosphere.

There is no guarantee that you will see this natural phenomenon, auroras appear above the cloud layer so clear skies are needed. You can use the WeatherRadar to know the best time to spot them.

This time of the year is considered aurora season for the early sunsets and long nights offering ideal conditions to spot the legendary glow.

Learn more on the mystical auroras with our Weather Explained below: