The Best Place To See The Northern Lights In The World Is Apparently Right Here In Canada
There are 240 nights of auroral activity during the year in the Northwest Territories! 🌌
Northern lights in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
The northern lights in Canada are known to put on spectacular shows in the sky, and apparently the best place to see the northern lights in the world is right here in this country!
According to Spectacular Northwest Territories, the official tourism organization for the territory, if you want to get the greatest views in the entire world of the aurora borealis, you have to visit the Northwest Territories.
There are a couple of reasons why it's being called the best place to see the northern lights during auroral seasons.
Firstly, the territory's location on the planet helps make it so great as it's located directly under the auroral oval, a concentrated area of the most intense activity.
Because of this, the Northwest Territories get around 240 nights of auroral activity in a year, typically around the peak northern lights seasons in fall and winter!
Also, the territory's location means that there are long nights of darkness from early fall to late spring, which makes it a perfect spot to have lots of opportunities to see the show in the sky.
Plus, it's easy to get away from city lights there, so even the faintest streaks of the aurora are easily visible.
Another reason why the territory is such a great place to catch the northern lights is because of clear skies. Since there's low humidity, there's very little cloud cover to obstruct the view of the aurora.
The northern lights can be purple, red, blue, green, yellow and even pink in the Northwest Territories.
Also, according to Spectacular Northwest Territories, the natural phenomenon can actually make sounds like claps, crackles and static!
Aurora activity follows a 10-year cycle, and currently, the cycle is on the upswing, with activity increasing over the next few years and expected to peak in 2025 — so be on the lookout.
Don Morin, who founded the northern lights viewing destination Aurora Village, shared with Spectacular Northwest Territories that for local Indigenous people, "Aurora is our ancestors that have passed away. They are so happy, they're up there dancing in the sky."