
Keep an eye on the University of Alaska Fairbanks has an Aurora Forecast that you can keep an eye on to determine when your best chances of seeing this spectacular light show are.
We were lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis from our boondocking spot about an hour south of Fairbanks, which draws Aurora tourists from around the world for being one of the best places to see the colors dance in the sky.
What you need for Northern Lights Viewing:
- Sun flares – electrically-charged particles from solar winds enter the Earth’s atmosphere and collide with molecules and atoms. Light is given off as they release energy created in the collision.
- Clear skies – check the weather forecast!
- Warm clothes – recommend hat, gloves, warm jacket, thick socks, maybe even a blanket!
- (Optional) Camera that can take long-exposure photos, and a tripod – a cell phone generally isn’t going to cut it, unless you have a fancy app that can manually control the shutter speed.
- Chair/blanket – get comfy, they don’t have a set start or run time, so you’ll have to be patient. The show can ebb and flow, and you never know when it is going to get better or fizzle out. But while you’re waiting, you might even see some shooting stars!


Very cool! I love hearing the train in this video also – Have fun!