Aurora Borealis Viewing Nights

There are abundant opportunities for aurora borealis viewing nights when in the Northwest Territories. The aurora borealis is a celestial phenomenon that occurs along the band that circles the North Pole. Many places in the Northwest Territories are within this zone and are great for aurora borealis viewing nights.

On aurora borealis viewing nights, one can expect to see colors and lights in shapes of bands, arcs, spirals and draperies. The brightness and colorfulness differ each night. On great aurora borealis viewing nights, one can see more than one shape, illuminated brightly, with forms and colors morphing within seconds. The usual colors are yellow-green or blue-green. Pinks appear sometimes. Deep reds are the rarest, and happen only when there are dense particles that react to the oxygen in the atmosphere.

The best times to head to the Northwest Territories for aurora borealis viewing nights are from the end of August to the middle of April. If the weather is permitting, one can view the aurora during Aurora borealis viewing nights at these times. The best auroras can be see between December and March. This is when the night skies get really dark and last the longest.

It is said that the Northwest Territories is the best place for aurora borealis viewing nights. This is because the weather is consistently clear in the area. At the same time, the landscape is relatively flat. Viewing from a mountainous region or one that is by the ocean may hamper aurora borealis viewing nights. The view of the aurora is not full from these locations.