Search for the Northern Lights – A Brrr-y Adventure in Fairbanks
/Seeing the Northern Lights has been on my ‘bucket list’ for a long, long time and thus far our efforts have been futile. When we were in Alaska at the end of last summer, we had hoped to catch a glimpse, but the skies were cloudy and smoke-filled. The closest we got was watching an outstanding film at Northern Lights Space and Science Centre in Watson Lake, Yukon. An appetizer, but not the real thing. This time we’re hoping for clear skies and a glimpse of the elusive Aurora Borealis.
According to the University of Alaska aurora forecast site, “Here in Fairbanks, at about latitude 64.8, our aurora viewing “season” is August 21 to April 21. The odds are in your favor between those dates: if the weather is clear and you stay for at least three nights, it’s highly likely (though never certain!) that you will see the aurora. “ We’ve got our fingers crossed!
We’ve been watching the temperature in Fairbanks. An Arctic blast just went through where low temperatures dipped to -45F and below. Daytime temps reached a high of -40F on some days. Considering it was 65F over the weekend in Las Vegas, we’ve got some temperature adjusting to do, although the current forecast indicates a real warming trend showing highs in the low double digits and lows to -4F. Unfortunately, cloudy skies are also forecast, but, of course, that’s subject to change… we’re hoping! We’re also monitoring the aurora forecast provided by University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Typically, the forecast is generated each day. We’re hoping a week there allows us ample time to catch an aurora display.
I’ve been doing a little research on the Aurora Borealis. The words translate to ‘dawn of the north’ and the phrase was allegedly coined by Galileo in 1621. Through the eons, people have conjured up all sorts of myths and legends to account for this celestial display. People of all cultures have always tried to explain out-of-the-normal, otherwise inexplicable events. Some indigenous people of North America believed the Northern Lights belonged to the spirits of great hunters or fishermen. While the Inuit contended that the eerie dancing lights were spirits of the animals that they hunted, other aboriginal people felt the lights were spirits of their ancestors. Some felt the lights signified impending famine or war, while others considered them good luck. We’re siding with the ‘good luck’ folks.
Laplander legend explains the Northern Lights as a Firefox. Credit: https://www.discover-the-world.com/blog/things-to-know-about-the-northern-lights/
Of course, the quick scientific explanation according to National Geographic is “In the ionosphere, the ions of the solar wind collide with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen from Earth's atmosphere. The energy released during these collisions causes a colorful glowing halo around the poles—an aurora.” Not quite so exciting as firefox or ancestral spirits in the sky.
The best time to see the aurora is late at night and the early morning hours. We’ve been sussing out the best spots for viewing, but I’m also checking out activities to keep us entertained during the 8 hours of daylight … pretty much 9am-5pm while we’re there. Besides napping, there’s a Chinese New Year Celebration, watching the SuperBowl, two ice museums, trudging around Golden Heart Park along the Chena River, Ice Bowl 2024 (a winter disc golf competition), a ‘bonspiel’ at the Fairbanks Curling Club and/or heading to Chena Hot Springs about 70 miles northeast of Fairbanks. Of course, there are plenty of brewpubs and restaurants to keep us fed, ‘lager-ed’ and otherwise occupied. I doubt we’ll be bored.
We’ll be sure to post photos regularly during our trip on both FB and Instagram and we plan to post a blog or two right here on Just A Little Further, so keep a lookout.