Northern Lights?

[curiousl8y]

This question may have already been asked and answered a bunch of times, but I hope you'll indulge me. Is there a possibility of seeing the Northern Lights this early? We're leaving on Sunday on the Norwegian Star, an Inside Passage and Glacier Bay cruise.

 

Thanks,

Linda

[Hate 2 W8t]

www.gi.alaska.edu/cgi-bin/predict.cgi

According to this site, they are no longer doing aurora predictions for Alaska currently because it is a moot subject. Not enough darkness.

[katmai]

It is bascially too late for Northern light.

The sky in high latitude doesn't get dark enough since early May.

You need to be further South to be able to have a dark sky.

At such lower latitude, you will need very strong geomagnetic storm for you to see an aurora there.

I'll say you'll have your best chance between Vancouver and Ketchikan.

The probability of seeing aurora in that area will be about 5 %.

Just to encourge you, I saw a dim aurora (northern light) on a flight between Tokyo and San Francisco about half way through at the latitude of Seattle 3 days ago (5/10/2005). The geomagnetic activity was pretty strong at that time, so aurora is visible all the way south to Portland area.

If this happens again (unlikely but possible), you will then definitely see aurora between Ketchikan and Vancouver.

[oceanblue1]

How 'bout in July? I'd love to see them too....

[Yukon]

There's no chance of seeing them now until at least mid-August, and then a show has to be very strong to be visible because the sky is still to light. Mid-September is when it starts to get fairly good, and mid-winter is prime aurora viewing because its dark a lot.

 

Murray

[curiousl8y]

Well cool, thanks for the replies, y'all. I'll just expect not to, and then if it happens, it will be a really pleasant surprise.

 

Linda

(TWO days till the Star!)