Viewing the Northern Lights is all about timing, location and luck! While this is often between December and March, in some parts of the world it can be August through April. The most likely locations are generally high altitude areas above the Arctic Circle in places such as Norway, Canada, Iceland, Finland, Alaska, Sweden and Greenland. Good viewing requires a clear, cloud-free sky in a rural area free of light pollution (do not attempt during a full moon)
There is one place in the continental US not frequently thought of – Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The UP, with its hundreds of miles of forests, has very little light pollution along the shores of Lake Superior. One great place to set up your tripod is the Keweenaw Mountain Sky Park https://www.uptravel.com/blog/post/stargaze-international-dark-sky-park/ located at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge https://keweenawmountainlodge.com/ (which has year-round workshops on stargazing. The absolute best viewing time is between August and April with peak months being October and November.
If you WANT to leave the continental US, there is great viewing in the areas mentioned above. I will be writing about them in future posts!
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