Can You See the Northern Lights in the Colorado Sky?
Many years ago, when I was working nights on one of our stations, I saw a red hue in the sky. It was around 11 p.m. when I saw it. I was the only one in the building, and it was a little unnerving, to say the least. I took a few phone calls from listeners who all claimed they saw it too. I wasn’t a news person, but they too, were wondering if I could see it, and what it was. During those calls, we speculated it could be the Northern Lights, or perhaps some sort of UFO. To this day, I’m not sure what it was we saw.
We’ve all seen images of the Northern Lights when scrolling online. It has long been a dream of mine to see them in all their glory. But can you see the Northern Lights in Colorado?
According to Van Life Wanderer, you can, and some people claimed to have witnessed them in April of this year. The article says the sun goes through a cycle every 11 years, at the height of which it creates great amounts of electromagnetic activity that causes the Northern Lights. It’s projected that the next peak will be in 2025.
Of course, you need the conditions to be right to see the Northern Lights, no matter where you are. The good news for us is that you need a clear night sky. We have a lot of those, even when the nights are particularly cold. In addition to a clear night, the best condition is also a dry night. We have a lot of those too.
The closer to the North Pole you are, the chances of seeing those brilliantly colored lights shining the better. I doubt, though, that this means if you camp out around the North Pole, near Colorado Springs, you would have a better chance of seeing the lights. Christmas lights, yes. Northern Lights, likely no.
With the mountain ranges across the state, you might have a better chance. I don’t think I’d want to climb a 14er at night, just to see the lights in the sky. Really, I don't want to climb a 14er at all.
I have a friend who lives in Alaska, and she’s posted some beautiful pictures of the Northern Lights. Maybe she’ll let me, and my family come for a visit.