What Causes The Northern Lights In Alaska And How Do They Look Like
In order to understand better how the aurora borealis is formed it is unavoidable
to mention some scientific facts which should intensify your interest to see the phenomenon even more. To start with, the northern lights are the results of some charged particles thrown out by the sun to the outer space after a heavy sun storm. Some of these charged particles are strongly attracted by Earth's magnetic poles and as they enter the Earth's atmosphere, the collision between these charged particles against the atmosphere (as the latter's function is to filter foreign objects coming from outer space) produces energy which will then be released as light particles.
These light particles become visible in the skies in vibrant colors. Some spectators have witnessed how the northern lights seemingly dance or glitter in the sky. The reason for this is there might have been some dense light particles in groups being released in succession. This explains why some portions of the aurora seem to faint earlier than the others. The denser the light particles are together, the more distinct they appear in the skies.
Travelers don't necessarily have to go to the North Pole to get the best view of the northern lights. As long as they are within the so-called "auroral zone", they can have a glimpse of this incredible phenomenon.
The aurora usually emits green and in some rare occasions, tinges of red, purple, and violet. The skies can be compared to an artist's canvas being smeared with abstract painting during a northern lights show.
The months of October to March are said to be the peak season when travelers herd to Alaska to witness the aurora. It is winter during these months and the skies are dark for the northern lights to be clearly noticeable. Hotel and room reservations are expected to be unavailable during these months so plan your Alaska northern lights escapade ahead of time. The best thing with some of the hotels in Alaska is that they have this "northern lights wakeup call" service. Simply ask them to wake you up whenever the aurora appears and they will be glad to do that for you. In this way you don't have to spend much of your time waiting for the northern lights to appear. Make sure you have your video recorder or digital camera ready beside your bed to capture this once in a lifetime miracle of nature.