To see the Northern Lights, you generally look toward the northern sky, ideally with a clear, dark vantage away from city lights. The best viewing is from high-latitude regions closer to the Arctic, where auroral activity concentrates. What to do to maximize your chances:

• Location: Choose a dark site well north of the city, preferably within or near the aurora belt (65–72 degrees latitude). Areas like northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, or Alaska offer frequent displays.

• Time: The aurora is most often visible between late autumn and early spring, with the darkest skies around new moon helping photos and viewing. Peak activity tends to occur around local midnight, though displays can appear any time during clear, calm nights.

• Weather: Clear skies are essential. Even a strong solar event won’t be visible through cloud cover. Check local cloud forecasts ahead of time.

• Light pollution: Get as far from artificial lights as possible. A wide, unobstructed view to the north (and sometimes slightly east or west) improves contrast and framing for photos.

• Orientation: While the aurora often appears in the northern sky, and sometimes moves across the sky, having an unobstructed northward view is the starting point; in highly active conditions, displays can appear overhead or sweep across multiple directions.

Practical tips:

• Dress for the cold and bring warm layers, a thermos, and a comfortable chair or blanket. A camera with manual exposure settings helps capture faint aurora features; long exposures (several seconds to tens of seconds) are common, with a tripod.

• Be patient. The aurora can be sporadic; sometimes long waits yield a dramatic show, other times there’s a faint glow that grows over time.

If you’d like, share your location and travel window, and a suggested plan can be tailored to maximize your viewing probability, including likely nearby viewing spots, weather considerations, and viewing windows.