Hi adventure fam!
So it happened. I saw the northern lights! It was such a huge bucket list item for me, and let me tell you, it was worth every ounce of hype you hear about it. BUT seeing the northern lights takes a combination of skill, preparation, and pure luck, so I’ve done the work for you to give you the best chance of spotting this phenomenon.
*A little note: This blog post is based solely on my experience seeing the aurora in Alaska. I haven’t seen it anywhere else, so research the region you will be in too!
So how do I see the lights?
This is where patience comes in. A lot of this has to do with luck. You need a clear night without cloud coverage as well as a high level of aurora activity to get the dancing lights you see in pictures. To track the activity of the aurora, click here and here for Alaska. Typically they are most active from midnight-4 am, so be prepared for some very long nights of waiting and staring at the sky. But trust me when I say that it is completely worth it.
What should I expect when I do see them?
Okay, I have to tell you. What you see in real life does not look like the pictures you see on the internet. What you will see in real life will be a little more muted. Initially the aurora truly looks like a colored haze. For us it was a faint green stripe on the horizon. But take out your phone/camera and try a few shots. If the aurora is active the shots appear brighter and more defined. And if you get lucky the lights will slowly grow in intensity until they are brighter and more similar to the photographs. And they may dance for you! Truly looks like a wave of color moving across the sky. So incredible!
These can be active anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. So grab some coffee, stay up late and always keep your eyes peeled.
Where is the best place to see them?
The northern lights are called that for a reason. Basically the further north you are, the better chance you have. BUT you also have to consider time of year. For the lights to be visible you need a dark sky. So visiting in the months with darker sky will give you the best chance. That being said, for Alaska the best places for viewing the lights include Fairbanks, Nenana and Chena and the best months are typically January-March.
And if you happen to find yourself in Alaska in the winter looking for ideas of things to do, click here for my winter guide to Alaska.
How do I photograph them?
You have two options! If you don’t use an actual camera, an iPhone actually can capture the lights! Ensure your camera is on night mode (newer models do this automatically in the dark), flash is off, and turn the shutter speed to 10 seconds. This basically means the camera is open longer and can absorb more light. The picture below was taken on a phone with those settings!
If you have a camera, set it to manual mode and use the settings below. I recommend taking your camera out before your trip and experimenting with some night photography to know how exactly your camera reacts to those types of conditions and how you may want to adjust it based on what you see. But these are the settings I used:
Shutter Speed: 10-15 seconds
Aperture: the lower the better but I used f3.8 and it worked well!
ISO 1600+
*Always use a tripod and if your camera has a delay for the shutter, use it to prevent any human error from making the shots blurry! And if you are the subject stand VERY still!
For us, the easiest way to get away from all light pollution and stay toasty warm while camping out was to have a camper van! We were hosted for the week by River Wild Camper Vans, and it was truly perfect for northern lights hunting. Check them out here.
I know this is a pretty basic guide, but these were all the tools we needed to experience the aurora. I hope it helps if you ever get this chance! As always feel free to drop any comments or questions below and sign up for the email list to stay up to date on new things happening around the blog (hint hint we are going to Colombia soon). Happy adventures, fam!
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