Searching for the `Northern Lights`
 

Having tried both Norway and Iceland ,sadly in vain, I`m turning my face towards Canada and Alaska, anyone reckon I`ve got a chance of seeing these `Lights`? If so ,where?
I understand all the factors needed for them to appear,but basically it`s just dumb luck,I`m pretty sure.
I reckon that I could make a fortune going to one place just so others could see the elsewhere!!! (of course these others would pay for me to do this!!!!)
I`m joking (sort of).
So my friends and family like to joke.
C`mon, someone can give me heart,surely........

Yellowknife NWT is the place to go.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...article554424/

seeing the northern lights is just being in the right place at the right time...you can't predict. if you want to increase your chances, go stay up north for a few weeks/months. we saw really small ones last weekend in northern alberta but it's been a few years since i've seen anything significant.

Lots of aurora lately - the sun seems to be active.

It's not really dumb luck, but more like taking advantage of knowledge and reports of sun's activity. You do need a clear sky though - having said that, I've seen that seasoned astronomers have taken awesome videos of aurora through passing waves of cloud.

So you need to check out - is the sun spewing out CME's (check out Spaceweather.com)?, am I far enough north? (52 degrees north is usually OK, although the further north you are the better), and is the sky clear and really dark? (city lights can "drown out" the delicate northern lights).
There you go :)

I'm in Calgary. We have a photo club at my work and one of the gentlemen in it specializes in photos of the northern lights.

He's part of a social networking group that tracks solar flare activity to determine when they're more likely to be out and if it's a clear night will drive an hour or two out of the city to get away from the city lights. They will wait up most of the night waiting for the lights to appear and take photos if/when they do. Some of his photos are absolutely amazing.

As Borealis said, it's not luck; it's knowledge and patience.

OP has asked this question several times on the European forum. She got basically the same answers there. She refuses to believe it is down to luck.

The OP says she is pretty sure it is dumb luck. Just wants to make an educated guess. Can't blame her for trying.

Check this site often: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica/

Dress warm and stay outside at night away from city lights and look up towards the north.