My Temple of Nature: Awesome Auroras

One of the most magnificent sights in the night sky is of the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. The same type of phenomenon is also seen in the southern hemisphere and is known as the Aurora Australis, or the southern polar lights. Both can be seen in areas near the north and/or south pole, but on rare occasions can be viewed in more temperate zones.

Source: Kidzcoolzone.com

It was once thought that the Aurora Borealis was caused by refracted light, like rainbows, but we now know that's not the case. It's a lot more complicated than that. Much more complicated. When I started reading all the explanations and details, things like,

"At the magnetopause, Earth's magnetic field points north. When B_z becomes large and negative (i.e., the IMF tilts south), it can partially cancel Earth's magnetic field at the point of contact." from Wikipedia

I have to admit I kind of zoned out. I love science, but there are times when I think you don't need all the whys and wherefores and should just enjoy the moment. (Not to mention the fact that half the time I didn't understand what I was reading.) So I'm just going to give a simple explanation here - it is caused by energy particles from the sun colliding with the earth's magnetic field. (If you want all the details, you can go to this page on Wikipedia.) The color of the lights depends on the type of particles. The aurora can appear as a soft glow or curtains of light.

Source: Howstuffworks.com

One source says the best time to see the Northern Lights is December through March, when the nights are longest. Another source says spring is definitely the best time. However, they can also be seen as early as September because they tend to be tied to equinoxes. One thing they do agree on is that the best viewing occurs with a dark sky (when there's a new moon) and no clouds. The lights can last 10 to 15 minutes or for hours and are brightest a few days after there has been heavy sunspot activity. In the US Alaska has the best viewing as it is closest to the magnetic north pole, but they can also be seen in other northern states when there is especially high activity. In other words, if you go somewhere specifically to see them, there's no guarantee that you will. That said, there are sites that try to predict the best time to see them, such as this page from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.