Where does the aurora borealis occur?

Question

Where does the aurora borealis occur?

Answer 1

Aurora, both Borealis and Australis, occur in the ionosphere about 60-100 miles up. The auroral zones are centred roughly on the magnetic poles, somewhat offset from the Earth's geographic poles. They form belts about 20-odd degrees wide. The width of auroral activity and its altitude mean that it can be seen over a very wide area.

Much depends on the state of solar activity and how the Earth's magnetosphere is behaving, and are hence awkward to predict. That said, there are a few websites that send out alerts of unusual solar activity that may trigger aurora. Periods when solar activity is high (like in a few years time at Solar max.) in the right areas it can be an almost daily occurence but given the onten unpredictable nature of the Sun, one can never be sure.

If you travel north (or south) to latitudes of about 60 degrees or more (or near the Arctic/Antarctic circles) you are more likely to see such displays - that is, if they are actually happening. Nearer the equator auroral displays are quite rare. In the UK one may get a handful of days per year of auroral activity. Offhand, good places to see aurora are Alaska, much of Canada, Iceland, Scandinavia and so forth.

Answer 2

it occurs over the northern axis of the earth, but it can be seen from the mid-US on really clear occasions.  

Answer 3

In and around the Arctic Circle.

Answer 4

alaska.

Answer 5

This phenomenon also occurs in the Antarctic, where it is termed Aurora Australis.

The aurora borealis of the Northern Hemisphere is often called the northern lights, and the aurora australis of the Southern Hemisphere is known as the southern lights. Each is visible over an area centering around the geomagnetic pole of its own hemisphere. The aurora borealis is said to occur with greatest frequency along a line extending through N Norway, across central Hudson Bay, through Point Barrow, Alaska, and through N Siberia.

Answer 6

It occurs in the northern hemisphere, it can be seen occasionally as far south as London.

Answer 7

Most anywhere north of 60 degrees north latitude or south of 60 degrees south latitude.  It varies some 10 to 15 degrees.  In the northern hemisphere places north of Hudson Bay, Ankerage AK, Stockholm.  In the southern hemisphere (Aurora Australis) maybe the southern tip of South America near the Straits of Magellan or on a boat somewher or on Antarctica.

Answer 8

opposite the aurora australis

Answer 9

In the far North above the Arctic Circle.  It actually occurs in the upper atmosphere as ionised particles from the Sun's 'solar wind' interact with the ionosphere  as they become trapped by the Earth's magnetic field, and get drawn toward the North Pole. The Aurora can be seen from thousands of miles away though.