Aurora borealis
Michigan
General information about Michigan and the Northern Lights
Northern Michigan in particular is very well suited for observing the northern lights. On the one hand, Michigan is very favorably located in terms of latitude, as the auroral oval slopes particularly far south here. Secondly, the Upper Peninsula is blessed with hundreds of kilometers of shoreline on Lake Superior. This offers a very dark night sky due to the very low light pollution. If you look north across Lake Superior, you can see all the way to the horizon and have an unobstructed 180-degree view of the night sky. This is particularly important as auroras can often be seen very low on the horizon. A dark night sky with low light pollution is essential for searching for the Northern Lights, as the light from the auroras matches the brightness of starlight.
Northern lights near Au Train
Description: We saw the first northern lights on October 6 in a parking lot directly on the southern shore of Lake Superior. Time: 9pm to 11pm.
Our rating: As we had never seen the Northern Lights before, this was a very special experience that we will certainly never forget in our lives. It is simply amazing and actually indescribable what takes place in the night sky. Anyway, the Northern Lights were one of our top highlights of our vacation.
Northern lights near Carb Lake
Description: During our vacation, we even had the great fortune of being able to observe the northern lights once again. We saw these on October 10th at the boat dock in Carb Lake directly on the north shore of Lake Michigan. Time: also 9pm to 11pm.
Our rating: Even though we already knew what to expect, these auroras were completely different to the previous. This time the lights were all around us. Even above our heads, the lights danced in the most amazing formations. It was simply an incredible experience and we are very grateful that we had the opportunity to witness it.
