SPORTS & RECREATION / THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

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Anchorage is one of the best places to view the famous celestial occurrence know as the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. This amazingly spectacular natural wonder is one of the highlights of any clear cold night. Though easily explained as what happens when the electrically charged particles from the Sun are blown on a solar wind and react to the earth’s magnetic field – they are still hard to believe when seen.  The northern lights can be extremely bright, multi-colored and fast moving. The most common color is a brilliant yellow-green. Some very colorful displays can even produce red, blue and purple patterns. These are often seen as waving curtains of light that ripple and sway in the night sky then suddenly disappear, only to reform in a new shape minutes later.  Fall, winter and spring are the prime seasons for viewing the northern lights, and the best displays tend to be accompanied by sub-zero temperatures and moonless skies. The best hours are often near midnight. They follow no specific schedule and cannot be completely forecast, but, Aurora Forecasts are available online or in the weather section of the Anchorage Daily News.