Pack warm clothes. Like, ludicrously warm. You’ll be standing still for an hour. Your toes will cry. Bring hand warmers. And extra socks.
Bring a red light headlamp. White light ruins your night vision. You don’t want to be blind when the green ghost appears. Also, bring snacks. Chips make the waiting tolerable.
Do you have a camera? You don’t need one. Your eyes are great. But if you want a picture, use a tripod. Set your phone to “night mode” and prop it on a rock. It’ll work.
Set an alarm for 10 PM to 2 AM. That’s peak chaos time for the aurora. Don’t look at 8 PM and go, “Nothing.” Be patient. The lights are shy.
Northern lights tonight: Can you see them in New York?
Wait—Can I See It From My Backyard?
Maybe! If you live rural and north. But like, really rural. No streetlights. No neighbor’s porch light. If you see a glow on the northern horizon, that’s a maybe.
Use a live aurora cam. There are webcams in Yellowknife, Fairbanks, and Abisko. Watch them for five minutes. If they show green, it’s coming your way. Or you’re already late.
Here’s the best tip: Join a Facebook group for aurora chasers. Sounds dorky, I know. But those people are obsessed. They post real-time alerts: “LIGHTS UP IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA!” Trust the obsessed.
