I did all the research and crunched all the numbers to find the most probable yet cost and education efficient time to see the northern lights, but sometimes the odds are just not in your favor.
The weather forecast for the next few days is a continuation of the last few days; cloudy. In addition, the aurora forecast, which is based on solar activity of the preceding days, predicts low activity for the remainder of my stay. Both of these projections are making me increasingly worried about the success of this trip. Initially I was concerned that my photography skills would not improve quickly enough to produce images worthy of sharing. Now however, I am judging “success” merely by a sighting of the aurora
Of my stay thus far, two nights have been clear enough for a hope of a sighting in at least a portion of the sky. Both nights found me out on a road outside of town staring hopefully at a monotonously dark sky. On Saturday I was rewarded with a brief glimpse of what could only be the northern lights. What I saw was a single, hazy green thread that stood immobile just long enough for me to spot an inconsistency in the sky before it dissipated into the surrounding darkness. Though it looked little like the dynamic and crystal clear images seen through Google, it was just distinct enough for me to recognize as the northern lights.
Sunday night I repeated the process in the hopes of some better results. On the advice of some residents, I tried an earlier viewing time but to no avail. Though it was clear enough to pick out my favorite constellations, no color was to be seen. I went to bed disappointed, but woke heart broken when I checked the aurora images of the night before. I found that not a hour after I had called it a night at the request of my ride, three faint bands of green were photographed just outside of town.
I will not say that this trip will have been wasted if I am not able to see the aurora. I have already learned a myriad of new information, from the rules and etiquette of Settlers of Catan to the lore and technique of ice netting. But, I will feel unfulfilled. The inspiration and planning of this trip centered on viewing the northern lights. All the amazing experiences I have had thus far were intended to be bonuses to the main attraction. I can adjust my thinking if need be to accept that these experience were indeed fruitful enough to curb my disappointment, but I hope that will be unnecessary. I am still holding out for a positive combination of solar flares, clear skies, and perfect timing necessary to see the northern lights.
