aurora borealis?
 

We want to see the aurora borealis sometime in March.

Need to fly somewhere where there is mainline AC service rather than code
share with FirstAir etc.

We were thinking of Ft. McMurray. Anyone been there? Any other suggestions?

Fort McMurray
 

Hi. I'm just replying now because I just found this website. I live in Ft. McMurray... the Aurora Borealis are incredible here. People come from as far away as Japan to see them. Still considering it?

Thanks for the response.

We're thinking of going the weekend of March 12 assuming we can get airtickets.

Any local tour company to use?

Aurora viewing trip ideas? YMM, YXY, YZF, or YXY+YMM?
 

(deleted and moved to Aeroplan forum.)

What a great idea!
 

How does that work then? I mean, are the northern lights guaranteed? what about weather? etc?
Love to hear more!

I moved my comment to
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22870
and so far got great comments. Now I am moving forward to YXY*3nights.

AFAIK, AB sightings depends on four factors:
-weather
-full moon
-magnetic field
-solar wind activity

Yellowknife boasts 97% chance of AB sighting if you stay at least three nights there, and I guess the other are around the same, too.

Any chances of seeing an aurora borealis as far south as Whistler during my ski vacation there?

I bet the chance is low in Whistler.

AB can be best viewed at over 60degree in latitude, while Whistler is only 50N. Fort Mcmurray is 56N, and I think that's the southernmost of AB tourist destinations.

If above four conditions are met, and if you could spend midnight hours at places where it's really dark, there may be a chance. Good luck.

You have several things that go against you seeing it in Whistler.

The latitude, light polution, cloud cover in the area. I really doubt it.

>Any chances of seeing an aurora borealis
>as far south as Whistler during my ski vacation there?

I've seen the AB down at fifty degrees of latitude, but it's extremely rare (once every 10 years?)

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada

Trip report: Whitehorse 2/17-20
 

moved to AC forum. sorry for misposting.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22870

I have actually seen a faint glow of the AB at my home in BZN at 45 degrees or so. I have seen it much better in eastern Montana (near 1S3 at 46 degrees) without the city lights. It is more like a green glow towards the north than the streaks seen farther north, but still beautiful to see.

You can get lucky and catch *some* AB at the lower latitudes, I have only seen a full-sky, brilliant AB once in my life and I will never forget it.