How to see the aurora:

• Learn how to read the data and know the forecast and current data. Sign up for free alerts on NOAA Space Weather.
• Check the data often. Daily right before your trip, and hourly and by the minute during your trip and aurora watching time.
• Watch the webcams in your area to determine if the aurora is being seen, or to see if skies are clear.
• Join us on social media to see what others are saying. Someone will post the forecast and if aurora will be imminent. When the aurora is seen, someone will post where they are seeing it. If you are in the same region, you should see it too.
• Get away from all sources of man made light and city light pollution for the best views.
• Drive to clearer skies or wait for clouds to clear. If you can see stars, aurora can be seen.

• Do not drive around from location to location unless you are avoiding light pollution or clouds. Stay in place and wait.
• Sometimes the aurora is faint, and sometimes bright. You must be patient and wait for it to change.
• After seeing the aurora, do not ask “is that it?” unless the sun is rising. Keep watching the sky and the data, wait, as it comes and goes.
• Consider going with a tour to maximize your chances if you want to learn about the science, photography, or are limited on time, the weather is poor, or to be with other people. Decide by taking this fun quiz, Should you Hire a Tour Guide or Do it Yourself?
• For one on one help with your trip or aurora viewing, get advice on Buy Me a Coffee/AuroraNotify.

There are many myths about what is the aurora and how to see it. Looking at different websites and tourism forums, it is always surprising to me all the wrong or confusing information that is being said. People trying to help but not knowing anything about space weather themselves may give false hope. Or give advice that the aurora can’t be seen when in fact it can, or the opposite. There is nothing I can do to correct these websites or Facebook groups, but I can make my own website something to help you see the aurora, as well as moderate the Facebook group, heavily, I might add.

We occasionally have classes on aurora science, aurora & night sky photography, and get-together parties to share the excitement of seeing the aurora. These classes and parties are located in Alaska, mainly Fairbanks and Anchorage. We are happy to host a class in your area. We can speak or ask other speakers to present. We can do a free or low cost class for your group, depending on your needs. Please email Amy@AuroraNotify.com

Starting off, this is how to see the aurora in the northern hemisphere:
Know which direction is north. You can use your phone GPS, a map, a star finder app, or outside and look at the stars. The Big Dipper and Polaris are in the direction of north. Then when facing north, look to the northeast. The aurora band will stretch north, northeast. If the aurora expands, the band will go higher in the sky, overhead, then possibly to the south. It is easier to see the details and structure of the aurora where there is no man made light pollution.

In the aurora zone, which is interior and northern Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, northern Europe, and northern Russia, the aurora can be seen in every direction when the conditions are very good. However, the typical aurora band on any given night is to the north, encircling the earth around the poles, and this is called the aurora oval.

The aurora may be faint, small, thin, and hard to see at times. Facing the correct direction will help you locate it. Lower latitudes in the northern hemisphere will only see auroras toward the north, and during a bigger storm, overhead. For aurora australis in the southern hemisphere, look south. Let’s continue this instruction by reading Aurora Forecasting.