Southern Canadians have recently enjoyed vibrant displays of northern lights in shades of purples, pinks, and greens due to heightened solar activity over the last couple of years. However, as the sun transitions into a quieter phase of its 11-year cycle, the spectacle of the aurora borealis will diminish.
The best opportunities to witness the dancing lights will continue to be in the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut, where the auroral oval, a luminous ring encircling the magnetic poles, is most prominent. According to Ethen Sun, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto’s David A. Dunlap astronomy and astrophysics department, sightings of auroras in southern Canada, including regions in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, will become less frequent as solar activity decreases.
Sun explained that the sun undergoes periods of intense solar maximum and low-activity solar minimum. Currently, we are transitioning from the maximum phase, with solar activity gradually declining towards the minimum expected around 2031. During the solar maximum, characterized by coronal mass ejections, flares, sunspot increases, and geomagnetic storms, spectacular northern lights displays are triggered.
Even at the 60th parallel, auroras can be observed almost nightly regardless of the sun’s activity level. The prime viewing period for auroras is between September and April, with particularly vivid shows around the spring and autumn equinoxes.
While the vibrant displays witnessed over the past two years may diminish in the auroral oval, especially as solar activity subsides, the window for optimal viewing will also begin to narrow. Sun noted that the additional colors and movements in the auroras typically occur during geomagnetic storms.
In the Arctic skies, auroras are a reliable phenomenon, attracting tourists to regions like the Northwest Territories and Yukon. Reports from Tourism Yukon indicate a strategy to leverage the solar maximum period between 2023 and 2025, with the northern lights serving as a significant draw for visitors, particularly from the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia.
Aaron Ratko, a board member of the Wilderness Tourism Association of Yukon, highlighted the diverse seasonal experiences attracting tourists to the region, with winter visits often centered around aurora sightings. Repeat visitors are intrigued by various day tours and experiences offered during different seasons.
Alex Stubbing, CEO of Travel Nunavut, emphasized that while Nunavut is not primarily focused on promoting aurora viewing like other territories, it offers unique attractions such as Inuit culture, mountain landscapes, and wildlife encounters. However, as the solar maximum phase fades and the three territories emerge as premier aurora destinations, Nunavut may consider positioning itself as a key location for northern lights enthusiasts.
In the Northwest Territories, the northern lights are a common nightly occurrence, with Yellowknife boasting up to 240 nights of aurora displays annually. The region’s tourism heavily benefits from the auroras, attracting a significant percentage of visitors seeking these celestial phenomena.
Marie-Soleil Lacoursière, operations manager at Aurora Village in Yellowknife, emphasized the economic importance of northern lights tourism, contributing to revenue streams for various businesses. Although tracking the solar cycle is part of their operational strategy, the fluctuating solar activity does not significantly impact their business operations or customer experiences, as the unpredictability of the auroras often exceeds expectations.