Have You Ever Seen the Aurora Borealis?
@DeborahDiane (40280)
Laguna Woods, California
August 20, 2016 8:26pm CST
Although I have traveled in the state of Alaska, all the states along the U.S. border with Canada, the country of Canada (multiple times) and Great Britain, I have never had the opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis ... sometimes called the northern lights.
I have been told that it occurs much more frequently in the winter months and most of my "northern exposure" has been in the summer and early fall. However, I have been in parts of the northern U.S. during the winter and still missed the Aurora Borealis.
Although I have seen videos of it, I have never seen it in person and it is one of the amazing world experiences I would love to enjoy.
What about you? Have you seen the Aurora Borealis? What did you think of it? Or, is there something you have never seen, but would like to? 
20 people like this
23 responses
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Aug 16
@jstory07 - Since you live in Oregon, I would think it would be possible for you to have that opportunity someday ... although you might have to travel even a little further north. I understand it is spectacular!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Aug 16
I haven't seen the Aurora Borealis but I have seen the Aurora Australis when we lived in Ravensthorpe near the south coast. The southern lights were rarely seen that far north of the Antarctic but I guess we were just lucky that evening.
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Aug 16
@JudyEv - How wonderful! I forgot about the Aurora Australis, but I'm sure it is spectacular!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane I can imagine how miraculous the auroras must have seemed to ancient peoples. They still look miraculous to me although I've read how they come about.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Aug 16
@JudyEv - I imagine ancient people thought they meant the world was coming to an end ... or some great omen!
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@wiLLmaH (8802)
• Singapore, Singapore
26 Sep 16
@DeborahDiane I hope before we hit 45 years old we already saw it :)
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Sep 16
@wiLLmaH - I hope you get to see the Aurora by then, too.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 Sep 16
Seeing the Aurora Borealis is on my bucket list, too.
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@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
21 Sep 16
As a child my bed room had a bank of windows. I learned to sleep without curtains... Many times I would wake up in the night because of the Northern Lights,The light and movement of the light would wake me up. I was always happy to see them and would watch them until I fell back asleep. In Alaska last week, they talked about them but I never got to see them, I looked but no luck. I live in Canada now and haven't seen them since I was a child in New York.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
23 Sep 16
@DeborahDiane While in College in Vermont I remember standing out in the snow on a dark night watching them too. Now thinking about it I'm wondering if winter is the season for them? I'll have to look it up.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Sep 16
@PainsOnSlate - What a beautiful memory ... the Aurora above the snow. How spectacular!
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Sep 16
@PainsOnSlate - What a wonderful memory! We sleep with our blinds open so we can see the sunrise ... but I never get to see anything as spectacular as the Northern Lights!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Aug 16
@paigea - How wonderful that you have gotten to see it!! When we toured Alaska, our guide told us that one of the best parts of the Alaskan winter was getting to see the Aurora Borealis ... so that is why I assumed it happens more in winter. Perhaps, however, it was just that the nights are so long in Alaska during the winter that there are more opportunities to see the northern lights.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Aug 16
@paigea - You are right. A person would have to stay up really late to see the Aurora in the summer.
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@paigea (36318)
• Canada
22 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane And the daylight is so long in summer, there is hardly a chance to see it.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Aug 16
@122037 - Go for it! Write an article about the Aurora Borealis here someday.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Aug 16
@122037 - Since you live in British Columbia and appear to be young, I bet you will have a chance to see the northern lights someday.
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@122037 (284)
• Vancouver, British Columbia
26 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane For sure, A three days trips is enough.
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@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
30 Aug 16
Yes, I have. It was interesting and something really special to see. But now I would probably not travel to view this. There are just so many things to see!
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 Sep 16
@PatZAnthony - You are right that there are so many interesting things to see in the world that we cannot see them all!
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
21 Aug 16
that 'twas one'f the 'perks' when i was hangin' my hat'n alaska fer a few years - to sit out'n the roof 'n watch that magic 's 't danced 'cross the sky. i've e'en a pic i took enlarged 'n framed. dunno how i managed to keep that one, whilst the others lost fere'er.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
24 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane yes ma'am. 'f bitter cold nights (that's when they were best, lol) 'n climbin' out 'nto the quiet 'f night. most peaceful 'n what a light show!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Aug 16
@crazyhorseladycx - I'm glad you kept that photo because it sounds like it brings back some pleasant memories!
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@akalinus (43142)
• United States
22 Aug 16
I lived in NY state and never saw it until one night. The news ran a banner across the bottom and said that if we went outside, we could see the Borealis. I rushed out into the cold winter night. It looked much like the photo above, all green. I know it comes in other colors, also. That was the only time I ever saw it.
1 person likes this
@akalinus (43142)
• United States
23 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane I would have missed it if not for that.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Aug 16
@akalinus - I'm so glad that the news stations told people that the Borealis was going on at that moment. How exciting!
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Aug 16
When I was 12, my aunt and uncle moved to Barrow, Alaska for a year for a construction project my uncle was in charge of. During the time they were there, my brother and I went out to visit them for about 3 months. Although it was during the summer, we were so far north that we could easily see the northern lights all the time. I was completely fascinated by them, and would sit for hours watching the beautiful glowing patterns!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Sep 16
@DeborahDiane You have to keep in mind, though, that we were WAY above the Arctic Circle, so I'm not sure if the northern lights are visible in other places in the summer. There's not too many cities/towns that are located above the Arctic Circle!
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Sep 16
@moffittjc - I've been to Alaska, but never any further north than Fairbanks. I understand you can see the Northern Lights much further south than that at some times of the year, but we didn't see them. Maybe next time!
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 Sep 16
@moffittjc - Wow! You just answered one of my questions. It is possible to see the northern lights in the summer if you wait until it gets dark. That is good to know!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
21 Aug 16
No, I haven't either. Going to a cold place in winter is just not on my to do list. I have lots of things I still would like to see although, like you, I have seem many things in my past travels.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace - I rarely enjoy going to cold places in the winter ... although it has happened a few times. However, even when I have been in cold places in winter, I have never seen the Aurora!
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace - Ha Ha! You are right! It's not fair that I have been to Canada and the northern states in the winter and still didn't get to see the Aurora!
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@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
23 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane It doesn't seem fair. You paid the freezing your nose bill, you should have been able to see the Northern Lights.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 Sep 16
@Shiva49 - They are not visible where I live and I don't expect to go that far north again in my life ... but you never know. It could happen!
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Sep 16
@Shiva49 - I have seen YouTube clips of the Aurora, too. ;Amazing!!
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@Shiva49 (26644)
• Singapore
25 Sep 16
@DeborahDiane I just saw a you tube clip - what a show! siva
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@responsiveme (22926)
• India
24 Sep 16
The name is magical...I've heard of it in many stories., first of which I read long ago...The snow Queen....fairy tale.
...but not seen it as my country is too far south.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 Sep 16
My part of the U.S. is too far south, too.
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@sosapanla (55)
• Bangalore, India
21 Aug 16
very nice pic. wish we had such wonderful thing to see in our country
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Aug 16
@sosapanla - I'm sure you have other beautiful things to see in India!
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@sosapanla (55)
• Bangalore, India
24 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane definitely. India itself is beautiful!
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@snowy22315 (179752)
• United States
29 Aug 16
I have never seen it in all its glory. I have seen a bit of it. I used to live in the North not far from Canada and I would see flashes of light..and maybe a little color but that is it.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 16
@snowy22315 - You have seen more of the Aurora than I have. I would love to see it!
@suziecat7 (3350)
• Asheville, North Carolina
21 Aug 16
No, I have not seen it though it would be amazing.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Aug 16
@suziecat7 - I agree that it would be amazing, although there isn't much chance of me seeing it in Southern California ... nor you seeing it in North Carolina.
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Aug 16
@skysnap - I guess it is pretty rare for people to have seen the Aurora Borealis. One of these days, I hope I get to see it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Aug 16
@shshiju - I haven't had a chance to see it the Aurora, but it would be wonderful!
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@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
22 Aug 16
@DeborahDiane Like you, I have seen videos but haven't seen it in person. I understand it is amazingly beautiful.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Aug 16
@HazySue - Yes, I have heard that it is amazing, too!
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@rina110383 (24492)
•
21 Aug 16
Haven't seen one. Looks beautiful in the photo. I wish we have them here in my country.
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@DeborahDiane (40280)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Aug 16
@rina110383 - I'm not sure what country you live in. I know that it is rare to see the Aurora in the U.S. except in Alaska and, sometimes, states like Maine.
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