How to Chase the Aurora Borealis in Alberta

Alberta is in an aurora sweet spot. Our long, dark nights mean more opportunities to spot the light show year-round.

The emerald aurora borealis is the result of charged particles smashing into gases in Earth's magnetic field. The lights are especially brilliant when solar wind activity is high.

The northern lights are predictable

While most people are sleeping, aurora chasers like Chris Ratzlaff head outside to catch the beauty overhead. These hobbyists use Earth forecasts and solar activity measurements to predict when aurora activity is likely.

"What draws me into aurora is that ability to predict it," Ratzlaff says.

Anyone can learn to make aurora predictions, says Ratzlaff. It starts with understanding how aurora happens, then learning to interpret available information. Aurora chasing is accessible, he says. Other areas of astronomy can be intimidating or expensive.

Chasing your first aurora

Witnessing the aurora requires clear skies and a blanket of darkness. Add a basic understanding of solar winds (or a website like auroraforecast.com) and a dollop of luck, and the odds tick up.

Ratzlaff is an active member of the popular Alberta Aurora Chasers Facebook group. The community of beginners and experts share observations, tips and photos from successful chases. They've created guides for first-timers and maps of spots with particularly good photo ops.

Ratzlaff has been chasing and photographing aurora in Alberta for more than a decade. With a healthy dose of beginner's luck, he caught the mesmerizing northern lights his first time out.

"I was pretty lucky, and that was the hook for me," he says.

Since then, he's seen and photographed northern lights many times. The natural light show looks different each time. The colours and shapes are unforgettable.

A bucket-list light show

Seeing the northern lights was on Prerana Chitlangia's bucket list after she saw a friend's photo of them glowing above Norway. The dream started to seem more possible when she moved to Calgary from Texas. Chitlangia joined the Alberta Aurora Chasers group and started reading the posts. She learned where to go and the solar factors to consider before heading out.

After five chases, Chitlangia saw her first aurora. Now she's hooked.

"We waited, waited, waited, and then there was this sudden green thing, and I couldn't believe my eyes," she says.

She started taking photos with her iPhone, to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. For about two hours, away from the glow of city lights, Chitlangia watched the lights flare and fade.

"We're lucky to live in a place where you can see aurora, and I want to make the most of it," she says.

No guarantees in aurora-chasing

On a crisp fall night, Ratzlaff is at Hiller's Dam. It's a recreation area an hour's drive north of Calgary's bright lights where he's hoping to photograph the aurora and its reflection on the water.

It's quiet, dark and clear. The sky is filled with stars.

Clear skies are just one factor. Watching the sun is also important, Ratzlaff explains, because activity such as coronal holes — dark spots on the surface of the sun — drives northern lights.

Ratzlaff is out here tonight because recent solar events gave hope for aurora activity.

"Now we're crossing our fingers, we're watching and we're waiting," Ratzlaff says.

But when crossed fingers, watching and waiting reveals no aurora, Ratzlaff remains cheerful. He's been on enough hunts to know aurora chasing involves both wonder and frustration.

Plus, even on a night without aurora, there's a boundless sky full of stars. He's enjoyed the milky way and shooting stars. A fine consolation.

"Look up often, day and night," Ratzlaff says. "It's amazing what you'll see."

Aurora tips from experienced chasers

• The most important thing: Get away from city lights!
• Some favourite spots from the Alberta Aurora Chasers Facebook group include Elk Island National Park, Ghost Lake parking lot, and Aspen Beach Provincial Park near Red Deer.
• The northern part of the province is home to two of the largest dark sky preserves in the world: Wood Buffalo National Park and Jasper National Park, where artificial light pollution is restricted to promote clear night sky views. The Jasper Dark Sky Festival runs every October, with astronomy events and speakers.
• Smartphone photos can't capture the lights' full glory. Ratzlaff recommends starting with a 15-second exposure on a DSLR. Set the aperture as wide open as possible. Then adjust the ISO as high as possible without getting too much noise. From there, shoot, adjust and have fun.
• Learn the basics of the solar wind, Ratzlaff says, such as how the speed of the solar wind and its magnetic field strength affects aurora.
• He also recommends monitoring solar activity with the SolarHam website, where space weather data is shared in real-time.