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There’s a Livestream of the Aurora Borealis—Here’s How to Watch

Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.
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published Mar 25, 2020
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If boredom hasn’t hit you yet during this period of nationwide social distancing, then count your blessings. But, if you’ve already blown through your watch list, completed all those DIYs you’ve been meaning to get to, and baked through all your butter and eggs, then it’s time to log onto Explore.org and livestream the Aurora Borealis—a.k.a. The Northern Lights.

“Stream the dancing, waving, emerald lights that serenade the arctic starlit sky every night at exploreorg.tv/auroraborealis,” Explore.org posted to Instagram on February 28. 

Explore.org and Polar Bears International’s live-streaming cameras are located at the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Churchill, Manitoba, which is situated “directly underneath the aurora oval—one of the best places on earth to watch the aurora borealis,” according to Explore.org. 

The site explains that late winter and early spring (more specifically, February and March) are the best times to catch the Northern Lights. So basically, log on now or forever hold your peace—until next year, that is.

The Aurora Borealis occurs when Earth’s magnetic field interacts with charged particles from the sun, which are usually the result of solar flares. When these particles interact with Earth’s oxygen and nitrogen—wham! Gorgeous colors that dance across the sky. 

Although Earth.org’s live cams run 24/7, you can catch the Northern Lights after sunset, which currently takes place at 7:43 PM CDT/8:43 PM EDT. And if you really want to amp up your Aurora Borealis experience, then you might want to invest in a projector like this one from Amazon (this will also make rewatching your favorite films for the nth time a lot more fun). Simply clear off a blank wall, pop some popcorn, and watch nature do its thing.

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