Where are the Northern Lights visible?

Question

Is it only in Alaska and Canada or further south?

Answer 1

The Northern Lights are more easily visible the farther North you go. However, they are known occasionally to make it down into the continential United States. They rarely make it much further south than, say, Ohio but I can remember several years ago that a particularly strong aurora could be seen from my backyard in Charleston, South Carolina.

You can go to SpaceWeather.com (link below) and click on "Current Auroral Oval" link daily to see the predicted extent of the day's aurora.

The link http://www.northern-lights.no/english/what/oval.shtml says:
"Under normal conditions the aurora oval covers the following areas in the northern hemisphere:
- Northern parts of the Nordic countries, including all of Greenland and Svalbard.
- Northern parts of Alaska, USA.
- Northern and middle parts of Canada.
- Northern parts of Russia."

Answer 2

Since some parts of Canada are further south than parts of the USA, you can't say that all of Canada can see the Northern Lights.

The farther north you are, the brighter the lights. Although in 1859 a big aurora storm made the lights visible as far south as Boston.

However, with modern lighting of cities it is unlikely to see them unless you are in the north.

I've seen them when I was in the Northwest Territories - they were green that night. and I've seen them faintly when camping in northern Ontario.
For more info check out Wikipedia link below

Answer 3

k ask a Canadian, grin. They are firstly more visable in the winter, you need ice crystals in the air to see them. But I have seen them as far East as Ontario and Quebec, almost to New Brunswick. But only when it's cold and not often. They are highly visable through Alberta and the praries, and of course further North up into the Territories and Alaska. Not all of Canada is an ice block, contrary to what some believe.

Answer 4

I live in southern Pennsylvania and they were visible a couple of years ago. It all depends on the jet stream and the clarity of the air in the sky. usually though, it is most common to see them further north near the Arctic

Answer 5

If you want to be sure, go north, north, north. I have seen it in the Netherlands once, but that's further to the north than like 80 or 90% of all people in Canada. If it's a rare sight in my country, you're even less likely to see it in the US.

Answer 6

Alaska Canada on the west side dont know if they are any where else.

Answer 7

I live in Wisconsin - I saw them in the middle of the city one year. It depends on how strong they are, but definitely the further north you are and the less unnatural light around make for the best viewing of this spectacular phenomenon.

Answer 8

The further north the better but I've seen them at latitude 56N and that happens very rarely. 70 degrees is about the best latitude.

Answer 9

They can occasionally be seen from the Upper peninsula in Michigan.

Answer 10

alaska