About time for the new season to begin!

It is getting a bit darker at night in the south central, southwest, and southeast areas of Alaska. Heads up for possible auroras tonight and into this week. It is that time of year again! Fairbanks and the interior and the north should be seeing darker skies into this week. Toward the end of August is when it really starts getting good, with darker skies in the north. (Just to reiterate, there is no “aurora season”. Auroras happen all year long. However, they are better seen when the sky is dark. It does not get dark in the far north in the summer.)

How to look for auroras:
When you know the forecast is good, wait for it to be dark. Go to a dark location. From Northern Hemisphere, look north. Southern Hemisphere, look south. A perfect spot would be an area with clear skies which you can see all the way to the horizon, like from a field, lake, or flat area with no city lights in your path.

Below are some photos taken in years past in the month of August, when the sky isn’t quite dark.