Whaten areis the best times and ideal viewing conditions for the northern lights?
The northern lights, also called aurora borealis, are a result of the solar wind (energetic particles from the sun) interacting with nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the earths upper atmosphere, generally above 80 km altitude. The earths magnetic field concentrates this interaction in a ring around the north and south magnetic poles. In Canada, this means the northern lights are most likely to be seen in a belt close to 60 degrees north latitude. Many winter nights are clear and free of haze and that is why winter is often suggested at the best viewing time, although there is a tendency for the most auroral activity to occur around the equinoxes.
