One of the high points of your trip to Alaska is the astonishing sight of the Alaska Northern Lights. Inuit call the Northern Lights aqsarniit, or "football players." They say the Alaska Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, represent the spirits of the dead playing football with a walrus head. Legend even says that the Northern Lights might come down and grab children. 

The phantasmagorical mythology about the Aurora Borealis is justified by the vibrant images that float dreamily across Alaska's ebony night sky. 

The Alaska Aurora Borealis is an incredible sight you do not want to miss. And you are in luck since, according to Science Magazine, Alaska is one of the best aurora-viewing places in the world! Which is one more reason to book a trip!

The lights can also be seen from other northern locations in North America, like Canada and Greenland, and northern European latitudes, including Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. If you are lucky, you can also see them from more southern locations like Minnesota and Michigan.

That's why we have a few easy steps to follow so that you, too, can be among the skygazers who have seen the magnificence of the Alaska Northern Lights.

Book Your Voyage to Alaska   

Find out the Best Locations to see the Alaska Northern Lights

Learn the Science Behind the Northern Lights 

We promise this step will be both fun and fascinating.

Once you understand what causes the Northern Lights, you'll appreciate their celestial meaning and significance to our planet.

If you don't have time to check out astronomical journals, here are some Cliff notes.

The Northern Lights come from the sun. Think of it, our sun is about 91 million miles away, brightens our days, and provides life on Earth, yet it also treats us to a night light show like one you've never seen. 

The Northern Lights begin on the sun's surface when solar wind or gas clouds eject charged particles into space. When this solar mass collides with Earth's magnetic field in the Earth's atmosphere, it generates changes in the magnetic field that cause oxygen and nitrogen atoms to light up and cause the eerie and ghostly images that flow along with magnetic fields. This coronal mass ejection, or CME, as scientists call it, takes about two to three days to reach Earth.

Fun fact, this magical phenomenon is not exclusive to the northern hemisphere. It can also be seen in the southern hemisphere, called the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis.

The Northern Lights Can Only be Seen During the Night 

You'll want to stay up late viewing the Northern Lights, which last well into the wee hours.

We know napping is hard when you're visiting Alaska. There is so much to see and do that a siesta feels like you're wasting valuable time. The mountains, the seas, the rain forests, the shops, the totem poles, dog sledding, and the remarkable people with their unique stories can make for a full and fun day.

But if you want to spend a lot of time marveling at the night sky, The best way is to take a daytime snooze so you don't miss one of the most memorable sights in the world. 

The Aurora Borealis usually appear between 5 p.m. and 2 a.m. and may last as long as 30 minutes.

If you're a night owl, fine by us. But many of us will need some shut-eye if we're going to be up half the night to take photos, share the experience with friends, or simply gaze in amazement at the changing shapes and colors.

Look up at the Sky

You will need no prompting to gaze upward. The Northern Lights can fill the sky from the zenith to the horizon. If you are lucky enough to be up in Alaska at the right time on a day with light cloud cover, you'll witness the show of a lifetime!

You'll also want to document the experience, so take a lot of photographs. Although photos can't really capture the drama of this nighttime spectacle, most smartphones can grab some terrific images. 

But don’t just stare through your phone lens.

Stand there, look up, and enjoy the moment.

A Few Fun Facts About the Northern Lights 

Impress your friends with these tidbits of information while you tell them about your Alaska Northern Lights experience.

Beautiful though they may be, the Northern Lights consist of magnetic particles that can be bad for the electrical grid and satellites. Scientists are working to understand the physics behind them to predict better how this phenomenon will affect technology.

The Northern Lights float around at altitudes up to 400 miles above Earth.

The Aurora Borealis has been seen as far south as the Equator. But your best chances are going to Alaska (or the North Pole) to see the show, as the Equator is not nearly as likely a place to view this magical show.

During auroral storms in August and September of 1859, February 1958, and March 1989, the sky turned blazing colors, stretching up to 1,250 miles.

"Aurora Borealis" means "dawn of the north." 

Now that you're an expert on the Northern Lights, follow these five easy steps to a glorious sight in the Alaska sky – and enjoy!