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 head, the better chance of witnessing the phenomena.

For those of us here in the U.S. who don’t have the time or ability to head to Scandinavia, Canada, or Alaska can look to a spot closer to home. Try northern Maine or northern Michigan!

Seeing the auroras requires some luck. Most major cities have too much light pollution, so national parks such are ideal.

The Northern Lights can descend further south into the 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.

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: