Northern Sights

When to come

The best time to see the northern lights in Denali and Healy

The northern lights are out all year. You need a dark sky to see them, and in Alaska that means late August to mid April. Nobody can forecast a display months ahead, but three things can be known: how long it is dark, where the moon will be, and how cloudy the month usually is.

Dark-moon weeks coming up

Seven nights around each new moon, when the sky is darkest. A strong display shows through any moon, so treat these as a good default, not a rule.

Month by month

MonthDark hours a nightUsual skyGood to know
October 202611 hoursNo long-term record
November 202613.5 hoursNo long-term record
December 202615 hoursNo long-term record
January 202714 hoursNo long-term record
February 202711.5 hoursNo long-term record
March 20278.5 hoursNo long-term recordDisplays tend to be stronger around the equinox.
April 20274.5 hoursNo long-term record
May 2027NoneNo long-term recordToo light for the northern lights.
June 2027NoneNo long-term recordToo light for the northern lights.
July 2027NoneNo long-term recordToo light for the northern lights.
August 20271.5 hoursNo long-term recordToo light for the northern lights.
September 20277.5 hoursNo long-term recordDisplays tend to be stronger around the equinox.

Dark hours are for the middle of each month, counted from when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon. Usual sky is a long-term average from NOAA's climate records. It describes the month, not any one night.

Coming in the next few weeks?

Inside 27 days there is a real outlook: expected activity, cloud for the first week and the moon, night by night.

See the Denali and Healy forecastPlan it for me