North American Aurora Belt

The aurora oval stretching across Canada's Northwest Territories, Yukon and northern Manitoba and Alaska in the US, with Yellowknife, Whitehorse and Fairbanks as the three main viewing destinations.

The North American Aurora Belt refers to northern North America at around 60°N, directly beneath the aurora oval. It spans Canada's Northwest Territories, Yukon and northern Manitoba, and interior Alaska in the US. The most popular viewing locations are: Yellowknife (flat terrain and many clear days, said to have one of the highest aurora occurrence rates in the world, with viewing camps such as Aurora Village); Whitehorse (the capital of Yukon, which can be combined with hot springs and dog sledding); Fairbanks and Anchorage in Alaska (where you can take the Alaska Railroad's winter Aurora Winter Train and combine it with Denali National Park); and Churchill on Hudson Bay (polar bears in October–November, aurora in February–March, beluga whales in July–August). The usual approach is to stay 3–4 nights in one place to improve your chances of seeing the aurora. At night (10 p.m. to 2 a.m.) you ride out to a viewing camp in the countryside and wait, and by day you can try dog sledding, ice fishing and snowmobiling. You will need to connect through Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary or Seattle, and Churchill is reachable only by plane or train. Winter temperatures are often below −30°C, so rent a polar-grade parka and keep your camera batteries warm. The aurora depends on solar activity and cloud cover; you can check aurora forecasts (the Kp index), but a sighting is never guaranteed.

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