Where can I see Aurora Borealis?
Can I see the Northern Lights in the midwest, particularly central Illinois? Or do i have to travel to the poles to see it?
Earth Sciences & Geology - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
The Arorora can rarely be seen in mid-Latitude areas like Illinois. It does happen, just not often. Your best bet is to travel closer to the poles in order to see it
2 :
Auroras, sometimes called the northern and southern (polar) lights or aurorae (singular: aurora), are natural light displays in the sky, usually observed at night, particularly in the polar regions. They typically occur in the ionosphere. They are also referred to as polar auroras. In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas by Pierre Gassendi in 1621.[1] The aurora borealis is also called the northern polar lights, as it is only visible in the sky from the Northern Hemisphere, the chance of visibility increasing with proximity to the North Magnetic Pole, which is currently in the arctic islands of northern Canada. Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from further away, they illuminate the northern horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis most often occurs from September to October and from March to April. The northern lights have had a number of names throughout history. The Cree people call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits." Auroras can be spotted throughout the world. It is most visible closer to the poles due to the longer periods of darkness and the magnetic field.
3 :
Yes the aurora borealis can be seen from Illinois as well as north Dakota and Wyoming. The best place in the USA to see the nothern lights however is in Alaska. Outside of Alaska, the best places in the USA to see the northern lights are in the northernmost states along the Canadian border, and Both the odds and the intensity of the aurora decrease as you go south. There is a website http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/ which tells you when and where the aurora borealis is best seen and what it's intensity will be
Read more other entries :
About Can you see the aurora borealis in late July...
