Aurora Borealis
Not a continent, nor a country, nor a territory of its own - yet the Aurora Borealis brings to life a magical realm. Seeing it dance through the sky allowed me to visit the solar system in my imagination, even if only for a few moments. The quest to witness the spectacle was a journey unto itself, involving travel, timing, and some good luck.
Aurora Borealis, also know as the Northern Lights, illuminates the sky at the top of the Northern Hemisphere into a colorful display. It also happens at the bottom Southern Hemisphere, where it's called Aurora Australis or Southern Lights. NASA says the phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the Sun mix with the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic shield. This combination creates glowing neon streams of green, yellow, blue, pink, purple, and red light, which can appear in the night sky.
GETTING THERE
Most commonly Aurora Borealis can be seen from the places closest to the North Pole, including Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. In times of high solar activity, the Aurora Borealis could be seen as low as California and Texas, but it's rare. I witnessed the breathtaking light show in Anchorage, Alaska. The main airport ANC has direct flights from across the USA.
To maximize my chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis, I planned my trip for winter, because there were more long dark nights. The paradox was, clear skies were also necessary to see it, and that's not easy to find in winter. So I planned a long trip to Alaska, just in case I needed extra time.
MAKE A PLAN
Fortunately, NASA and many other research groups tracked the Aurora and gave forecasts. I checked about half a dozen resources online, and there was high activity predicted for several different times during my visit. I cross checked with weather forecasts and realized February 15 would have clear skies, maximum darkness due to a new moon phase, and high solar activity.
While sitting in complete darkness, I stared at the horizon in northern sky for at least two hours. Nothing happened. I wanted to give up and go to sleep but didn't because I knew this night was my best chance. Then all of a sudden I saw something that looked like a thin wispy band of white clouds passing slowly through the sky. But I could clearly see stars, so I knew it wasn't clouds. I used my cell phone camera to detect faint light which my eyes might not see in the darkness, and sure enough the Aurora Borealis was moving in.
I kept watching closely, waiting, gazing at the sky. I couldn't believe my eyes as the color started to change into neon green with hints of yellow. The stream of light began to expand, and do a delicate dance in the sky, forwards, backwards, up, down, swirling. The ethereal quality of its gentle movement was incredible and awe-inspiring. It didn't last long. Mere minutes. But every second was captivating, even hypnotic.
Even though it was just a tiny fragment of time, I will never forget my excitement while watching the remarkable Aurora Borealis. Going to a destination that offers this intense yet intricate union of space and earth is a journey everyone should try to take.
