# How can I see the aurora borealis?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-see-the-aurora-borealis/549334>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 5, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-see-the-aurora-borealis/549334 "2010-08-05T21:25:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 7

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-see-the-aurora-borealis/549334/7 "2010-08-06T01:20:47Z")

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Here’s some info from recent posts of mine in another thread.

> [@Be on the lookout for aurora borealis tomorrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/17):
>
> Similar K-index maps here for the whole world and other info: [Tips on viewing the aurora](http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Aurora/)
> 
> Scroll down to “Kp maps of midnight equatorward boundaries”.

> [@Be on the lookout for aurora borealis tomorrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/12):
>
> Currently the estimated planetary K-index is only 6, which is not quite high enough for the aurora to be seen here in Chicago. It MIGHT be visible on the north horizon in dark sky areas.
> 
> [http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/alerts/k-index.html](http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/alerts/k-index.html)

There have only been a few sightings reported here. [http://www.spacew.com/www/auroras.php](http://www.spacew.com/www/auroras.php)

> [@Be on the lookout for aurora borealis tomorrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-on-the-lookout-for-aurora-borealis-tomorrow/548977/25):
>
> …when the sunspot cycle ramps up in the next few months, you’re almost guaranteed to see aurora from the northern borders of Minnesota or North Dakota. But for a guarantee, visit Alaska.

Not midsummer for Alaska, obviously.

Register then subscribe to email alerts directly from the NOAA here. [https://pss.swpc.noaa.gov/](https://pss.swpc.noaa.gov/)

The product category you want is “Geomagnetic Storm Products”. The emails can be routed to your cell phone as text messages, of course.

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