posted 04-12-2005 08:04 AM         

I would love to catch the northern lights when I am in the U.P. of Michigan. Is it possible to see it from there and when would be the best time of year? What are my chances of seeing it at all?

posted 04-12-2005 08:56 AM         

THe charged particles reach Earth, follow our planet's natural magnetic field and are funneled into a continent-sized ring around the magnetic north (or south) pole. The rarefied gases int he Earth's upper atmosphere effectively act like a giant television screen, luminescing when bombarded by the particles.

When and Where?

Auroras peack and subside in harmony with the 11-year sunspot cycle. The last sunspot maximum peak in 2001, and what a year that was! My wife and I stood outside and watched in the dead of winter, freezin' our ***s off, but the sight was a gorgeous, break-taking display that the next day we found was seen as far south as Texas, NM and AZ, very rare indeed.

With the last maximum in 2001, we are now in the intermediary period between maxima. Nevertheless, bright auroras can still occur at ANY time. THere is no favored time of night, but observers under dark country skies are far more likely to see the dancing sky lights. Canada and the northern US can expect several easily visible displays even in off-maximum years.