I have a friend going to Alaska this week on a cruise. He will be heading to Ketchikan, Sitka, and Juneau. His main hope is the possibility of seeing the Aurora Borealis.

Is it possible, and if so how likely is it, to see the AB from those cities at this time of the year.

I'm googling but figured we have a resident expert.

TIA

Jim

 

Your friend should be able to enjoy the Lights from any of those towns. . .provided. . .all three towns are in the temperate rain forest and receive large amounts of annual rainfall, Ketchikan is the rainiest town in Alaska. So, if the Lights are out (spring and fall are the best times of the year for them but they aren't an everyday-like-clockwork thing) and if there are no clouds that night, your friend should be able to see them. You can usually catch them any time after dark but between 1:00 and 3:00 am they seem to be at their best. They are generally white or pale green seen that far south, I saw red ones when we lived in Cordova. It is an awesome sight! Good luck to your friend