Night owls looking to roost in areas north of Demiscaming, Quebec and the Gaspé can be delighted by the early morning aurora borealis on the nights of October 29 to 31. The best time to see them is between 9pm and 5am: the night is long enough to give way to the glowing sails.
The clouds will have the last word
The best places to view the aurora – under clear skies – are on the Abitibi-Témiscamingue side, to the west of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Although the presence of clouds obscures their deployment, the northern part of the Caspian Peninsula may also benefit from their presence. On the other hand, the clouds that track the Côte-Nord obstruct the view in this sector.
A few tips are very useful for newbies who want to learn about the joys of appreciating the Northern Lights. Here they are:
- Take the northern route: the farther you go towards this direction, the more likely you are to see the auroras (as long as the sky conditions are favorable!);
- Let your eyes get used to the dark, especially not to miss the light effect of events where the KP index is low;
- Moving away from urban centers: moving away from light pollution – it should be as dark as possible – we approach the most interesting contrasts between the darkness and the luminous color of the aurora.
Phases of the Moon: An important element of luminescence
The different colors that make up the auroras are explained by the composition of the solar wind. So oxygen gives green and red colors, while nitrogen, for example, makes the sky blue, red and purple.
As we are currently in the period of the first crescent moon – new moon on October 25 – low lunar luminosity of about 20% favors optimal conditions for viewing the aurora. Another contributing factor to sightings is the autumn gloom that prevails at this time.