Aurora Borealis seen in Germany, note how bright the scenery looks for a dark night

The How, What, When, Where And Why Of Seeing The Aurora Borealis, AKA Northern Lights

My wife and I serendipitously chanced upon “seeing” the aurora borealis while visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming last year, and the excitement of that led to months of research. And that research led more recently to spending a few days in the Arctic Circle in the north of Sweden. Here is what I’ve learned about the northern lights so far, some of it firsthand.