What's the best spot to view the Northern Lights?

By Kirsten Mitchell

July 11, 2023 / 10:09 PM / CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – Researchers predicted the Northern Lights would put on a rare show over nearly 20 states later this week.

Now though, experts say the hype may not materialize. Still, skygazers might get a glimpse if they head north Thursday night.

Is it common to see northern lights in the summer months? WCCO asked Thaddeus LaCoursiere, the planetarium production coordinator at St. Paul's Bell Museum.

"The aurora can occur throughout the year. It's most common to actually see it though in the spring and fall months," LaCoursiere said.

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So this could potentially be a big deal – with a big emphasis on the word "potentially."

"The Northern Lights are incredibly hard to predict," he said.

LaCoursiere says it's somewhat a shot in the dark.

"We are basing our information off of the sun...a ball of plasma that is constantly changing. We're just beginning to understand the dynamics of the sun and how it works, how it changes," he said.

Still, an active sun has increased our chances of seeing the aurora borealis. If conditions align this week, LaCoursiere recommends heading a couple hours outside of the Twin Cities.

"That will get you into those darkers skies where you're dealing with less light pollution, and heading further north where the aurora is more likely to occur," he said.

A light pollution map and an aurora forecast will help with time and place. The prime window is often 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., though it's later with the summer daylight hours.

RELATED: The northern lights could be visible in several states this week. Here's where you might see them

If you can't get to a higher elevation, try to get to the end of a dock on a lake with an expansive view of the northern horizon.

"Depending on when you go out there's a lot you can bring," LaCoursiere said. "Bug spray and coffee, astronomers run on that!"

The WCCO NEXT Weather team says aurora forecasts are about as reliable as weather forecasts were in the 1950s.

Kirsten Mitchell joined the WCCO team as a reporter in November of 2021. A Saint Paul native, Kirsten is proud to tell stories in her home state. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Go Gophs!) and interned at WCCO during her time there.

First published on July 11, 2023 / 10:09 PM

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