How to see the northern lights

By: Jon Dusza, Managing Editor

A few years ago, my friend showed me pictures his friends took in their backyards of the northern lights, and I was shocked. I did not think the northern lights in Buffalo were possible, but there they were, right over a Buffalo neighborhood. I resolved that day that I would desperately try to see the northern lights whenever I could, and I am happy to say that I have seen them three times, all in Buffalo, in the last calendar year. As the weather gets nicer, it becomes more enjoyable to spend nights outside, looking at the sky. This year in particular should bring more opportunities to see the northern lights.

This year, the sun is in what scientists call solar maximum, which means that the sun is undergoing a shift in its magnetic poles. With that, the sun becomes more stormy, sending charged particles and magnetic fields towards Earth. I am not a scientist, so I cannot tell exactly what that means, except that there's a greater chance to see the northern lights in places closer to the equator than usual – like Buffalo! As the solar cycle typically takes eleven years, this year will probably be our best chance to see the northern lights in Buffalo and throughout the Northern US for years to come. Here is some advice to help you take advantage of what is a genuinely breathtaking thing happening in our skies.

Keep an eye out:

This is the most important piece of advice, since you have to know when to be outside if you want to see the northern lights. Often when there is a solar storm which may cause the northern lights to be visible, news agencies will send out a story to that effect. Also, social media is a huge tool. There are accounts on Twitter dedicated to solar weather and the northern lights, which are great resources. The social media accounts of local meteorologists are great follows: for WNY, Eric Snitil from Rochester is a great northern lights source.

Be patient:

During the solar storm in May of last year, I sent a picture I took of the lights to my main group chat, which naturally brought all of them outside to try to see them. When they arrived where I was, while I could see the northern lights dancing above me, my friends could not, and they complained to me that I had led them on. Their problem was that they did not let their eyes adjust. Whether it is looking for the northern lights or any phenomenon occurring in the night sky, letting your eyes adjust to the darkness by avoiding looking directly at bright objects is a major help. Otherwise, your eyes may not allow in enough light to see faint objects, and at our latitude, the northern lights are usually quite faint. Also, the lights come in waves, called substorms, so if the skies are empty at one moment, the next could bring a substorm and with it, the lights. These can be tracked, so following experts on social media can give you warning as to when a substorm may occur.

Avoid lights:

The less light pollution there is, the greater chance you have of seeing the northern lights. That does not mean that you have to go into a place where there is no civilization (I saw them in the middle of my neighborhood), but it helps to find a place conveniently dark for best results. There are also ways to make somewhat bright locations more friendly for night sky viewing. In October, I and a few friends saw the northern lights again. We were standing on a hill, and to one side of the hill was a forest – to the other side was a brightly lit school that was impeding our viewing. To counter the school, we stepped down the back of the hill a few steps, and used the hill to block the school lights, and it made our viewing experience much better.

Know what you’re looking for:

I saw the lights three times last year. Two times, I did not need to speculate as to what I was seeing; I do not exaggerate when I say that it was just like the pictures I had seen of the northern lights, covering the skies above me, at one point being so bright that they cast a shadow. But most of the time they will appear as a faint, green tint on the horizon. Seeing that is cool in itself, especially when you realize that it is the northern lights you are looking at, but you have to make an effort to find it in the sky and realize what you are seeing.

There are things that get hype that do not deserve them. The northern lights are not one of them. I cannot express enough how worth it it is to spend a night looking at the northern lights; it is well worth the effort. So this summer, or any other time, when you get a notification on your phone about how the northern lights might be visible, go out and see them.