The most spectacular Northern Lights that I ever saw was on the 4th of July in 1979. I was a Police Officer in Mackinaw City, Michigan at the time and got off from work at Midnight. Another Officer and I had coffee and then were walking to our homes (it is a small town) and noticed the lights were particularly bright, active and colorful that night. We were walking down the middle of the quiet street staring into the sky.

When I got home, I woke up my wife and gathered up a couple of blankets. We walked down to the shore about a block east of the Mackinac Bridge and lay on the shore and watched the show for a couple of hours.

Since I now live in the central US, I have only seen the Lights once in recent years. The same location, during a visit home in September.

Keith

I have not yet seen the northern lights, but I thought some of you might be interested in a book I read about them this past Summer:

The Northern Lights: The True Story of the Man Who Unlocked the Secrets of the Aurora Borealis, by Lucy Jago.

It's a very well-written story of Finnish scientist & inventor Kristian Birkeland, who set out to find (and did find) the origin of the lights in the late 19th and early 20th century.

I am going to Montreal over Thanksgiving. Is there a chance I'd be able to see the northern lights from there, if I should be so lucky. Or am I looking in the wrong area?

My ignorance is showing....is there are particular time of year that is better to see them?

Many times as a child growing up in Manitoba. They are definately Magical and I would say somewhat ghostly. I remember being scared quite a few times. They can move around so quickly. Went back this summer and was sure I would see them but the weather was bad [too cloudy] didn't see them at all.

About 1960, I saw a number of beautiful displays while stationed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They are certainly more visible in rural areas, with little effect from pollution and ground lighting.

Here's a good page with information: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/

Driving across from Saskatchewan into
Alberta, one COLD january night. Pulled over the highway and stared in awe.. amazing rays of green and teal washing the sky. Stunning.