Skip to content

Northern Lights

The northern lights shimmer in the night skies year-round, creating green and red-tinged swirls that stretch to the heavens — and perhaps beyond. In Aboriginal lore, the lights are dancing spirits of ancestors, creating a spectral path for souls to follow to another realm.

The explanation provided by Churchill Northern Studies Centre is a bit less romantic: When gases and solar wind particles collide in the atmosphere, their energy produces light.

While the aurora borealis is visible on clear nights throughout northern Manitoba, Churchill is a prime viewing spot, sitting directly beneath the Auroral Oval in the Northern Hemisphere. Magnetic fields near the North Pole create conditions that pull solar wind into Earth’s atmosphere more than 300 nights each year.

But summer nights are so short, lingering daylight obscures the view. The best times to see the northern lights are from late January through April, and in late Augustand September.

Some people say the lights create a swishing sound, and the centre has an explanation for that too.

Get Inspired with our #ExploreMB Blog!

Where, when and how to see northern lights in Churchill, Manitoba

What does it feel like to see the northern lights dance above you in the remote subarctic? Many have described the experience as a humbling one; an awe-inspiring event that leaves one feeling so, so small in the grand scheme of our magnificent universe....

Northern lights over pine trees

10 fascinating facts about the northern lights

The Northern Lights are one of nature’s most spectacular phenomenons–and lucky for us, Manitoba is one of the best places in the world to view them.

Silhouette of a person watching the green lights of the northern lights dancing in the sky.

5 things you need to know about viewing the northern lights in Churchill, Manitoba

Would it surprise you to learn that Manitoba is among the best places on Earth to experience one of the world's great natural wonders? Standing alongside The Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef and Mount Everest is the humble Aurora Borealis. Well, maybe...

Aurora Domes

Northern Lights

Aurora Domes

Hearne Ave, Division No. 23
CHURCHILL, MB R0B 0E0

results 1- 7 of 7

Experience Builder





Loading your recommendations…