Your planet is being buffeted by the solar wind—some particles of protons and electrons that the sun spews into space. Some of charged particles get sucked into earth's magnetic field and flow toward the pole until they collide with our atmosphere. Then, the aurora borealis or aurora australis will be.
The best times to see the aurora borealis are around the spring and fall equinoxes, when geomagnetic storms (disturbances in the earth's magnetic field) are strongest. It helps if the sun is near a peak of activity in its 11 year sunspot cycle. You can sign up for aurora alerts online on NOAA's geomagnetic storm forecast. But most of all you need a flask of something warm and bracing, a cloudless night, and pepper spray in case a grizzly tries to join you for the show.
Nice Places to Visit, Natural Entertainments, Nice Natures, Nice Lights to see
