

How can you view the Northern Lights near Vancouver? With that being said, you may want to book through a tour company that will include the price of your flights, accommodation, and activities in order to simplify the process. Some of these include visiting hot springs, dog-sledding, wildlife watching, ice-fishing and much more.Ī flight from Vancouver to Whitehorse is only about two hours long and costs roughly $350 CAD total with tax included direct with Air North. Furthermore, you can opt to use your cozy attire for other fun activities during the day in the frosty wonderland. Some of the viewing lodges will allow you to rent clothing for the subzero temperatures, and some packages include it in the price. Keep in mind that the Yukon is a tad chilly in the heart of winter (temperatures may plummet down to the minus 40-degree range). The aurora viewing season runs from late August to mid-April but the best time to view the lights is when the sky is at its absolute darkest.

Although they can't guarantee that you'll see a vivid astral display, your odds are quite high during peak season. Whitehorse is the largest city in the Yukon and home to several aurora borealis viewing lodges. Luckily, some of the best places for viewing them are here in Canada, including the Yukon. Your best bet for viewing the dancing lights in all their celestial glory is in a destination closer to the North Magnetic Pole.

Where do you have the best chance for viewing the northern lights? The northern lights actually come in a variety of colours, including blue and red. this is because when the human eye is not getting enough light in, it tends to see more in greys and shades of colour instead of getting the actual colour," she described. "The reason you typically don't see the green light has more to do with the human eye.

Because our atmosphere has oxygen in it and it will glow green," explained Sullivan.Īt times, the Auroras may look like a milky, greyish cloud that is moving in the sky. "It's a lot like a neon lamp in that way because it's the same sort of physics there. While they look like luminant colours dancing in the night sky, the northern lights occur when charged particles (electrons and protons) from the sun collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere. This interaction causes them to glow, which creates their trademark green hue. Vancouver Is Awesome spoke to University of British Columbia (UBC) Physics and Astronomy masters student Raelyn Sullivan about some viewing tips for observing the breathtaking display locally and abroad. At the very least, you may have several decent opportunities to view them by travelling just outside of the city - and knowing how and where to look for them. Unfortunately, light pollution in large cities makes the dancing lights difficult to observe.īut it isn't impossible to catch the aurora borealis in action in Metro Vancouver skies. While the sublime spectacle offers an unparalleled sky-watching opportunity, the city isn't the best place to view the colourful manifestation. If you've spotted the northern lights in Vancouver, count yourself lucky.
