Having missed the Northern Lights each time they were strong enough to see in North Carolina, my wife, Margie, and I traveled this September to Denali National Park in Alaska, hoping to see them under truly dark skies. It did not disappoint.
Clouds vs Northern Lights
Denali is considered one of the best national parks to view the lights. We found amazingly dark skies that revealed an awesome star field. But we were glad we had two nights there because enjoying these views are entirely weather-dependent. And September is the rainy month.
We arrived under clouds that lingered until bedtime. At the Denali resort, you can place an automated Northern Lights wake-up call. We passed, and were glad because folks told us the next day they were awakened at 2 am but saw nothing.
From No Lights to Northern Lights
Our second day, skies were mostly clear at sundown, and around 8:30 pm, the lights began to dance. We saw firsthand how ephemeral they can be, changing color, intensity and shape by the minute.
The Northern Lights were thrilling to see and to photograph. Like eclipses, having seen them once, I want to see more.
Back to No Lights
Back in North Carolina, we again missed the recent light show that extended to southern states.
After viewing so many amazing images of the Northern Lights made November 11 in locations far south, I realized that while we increased our odds of seeing them by traveling near the Arctic Circle, latitude is less important than the intensity of solar weather in terms of colors and coverage.
On November 12, we found a dark spot to watch for the lights in a large, new subdivision going up in southeast Durham County. Forests and farmland here are being rapidly converted into the Raleigh metro. Such expanses of clear-cut land out to the horizon are as fleeting as the auroras themselves.
Next time the Sun hurls a coronal mass our way, the spot we chose (and failed to see anything, again) will be covered by a thousand new homes and hundreds of streetlights.
