![]() Around 2am she drove off without saying anything to anyone and started dropping us off. This was not communicated so we were not able to experience it. Otherwise dead silence the whole time, at one point I over heard her say she saw it again for a minute but it went away. We sat in the car for maybe 2 hours waiting to see something while our guide was on the phone. After the last pickup she forgot to close the van door and started driving. The guides driving was erratic and aggressive, leaving us sore with how the car was jumping on the ice. At some points the lights came out for 5 minutes but because our windows were frosted we were unable to see it. We were sat in the very back of the van and the windows were frosted from the inside so we spent close to 4 hours not being able to see anything whatsoever. This was easily one of the most scary experiences I've had. Charlie Brown frowns or try to find privacy behind a snow bank on the summit. The only thing that adequate clothing could not compensate was no restroom (not even a pot-a-potty neither on the route to and from Murphy Dome nor on the dome summit nowhere) from 10:00 pm hotel pickup to 4:30 am return to the hotel. The aurora was mid intensity that night but still impressive and some good photos were taken by other participants. Murphy Dome is a small mountain about 2000 feet above and overlooking Fairbanks. Except for numerous 5 minute durations out of the van, we all appreciated getting back in the van to warm up. Snack bags with water and some chips and cookies were provided to each person as well as hot (actually warm due to quick chilling by the wind) chocolate, coffee and tea via hotpot’s of water in the van, whenever requested. The aurora did not start it’s middle intensity display until less than an hour before our scheduled return to the hotel, so Raedene asked everyone if they wanted to extend and we did so for more than an hour extra. Our guide Raedene did her utmost to position us for protection from the wind with slight success. The evening was clear but very cold and windy on Murphy Dome. This also means that there are no restroom facilities available. Please also note, that the Murphy dome is not a building. It is a natural phenomena, which is difficult to predict and impossible to control. Note: We cannot guarantee the Northern Lights sightings. View the breathtaking Northern Lights dance across the sky (360 degree view)Įnjoy the opportunity to photograph the Northern Lights for everlasting memories Murphy Dome climbs to 2.930 feet (880 meter) above sea level Travel to Murphy Dome (20 miles west north-west of Fairbanks, was once an Air Force Station, today still in use as a Long Distance Radar Station) We will leave the city lights behind us in our spacious vans ensuring each guests comfort. Today Murphy Dome Air Force Station (elevation 2930 feet) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. You can still see them in southern Alaska, like Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan, but they do not reach this far south frequently.Join us on our tour to one of the most famous Northern Lights viewing spots in and around, located north northwest of Fairbanks, Murphy Dome. Anchorage sits on the southern edge on decent auroral activity nights, meaning that they won’t be as vibrant as in somewhere around Fairbanks’ latitude. Interior and northern Alaska are the best places to see the northern lights.In cities, like Anchorage, you usually cannot see them. You’ll need to head somewhere without much light pollution.October to February makes the core of the aurora chasing season, but you can expect cold temperatures and winter weather.These are typically better months in regard to the temperature being spring and fall. The two most active aurora months are May and September.To be perfectly honest with you, the latest I’ve seen them in the spring is May 7 and the earliest was August 21. Above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t set for a decent chunk of the summer months. Alaska is nicknamed the land of the midnight sun, alluding to the fact that it doesn’t get dark in Alaska in summer. To cut to the chase: you can’t see the aurora in the summer.With that said, I have seen them through scattered and partly cloudy skies. If the weather forecast is calling for mostly cloudy, rain, or snow you will not be able to see the northern lights. Aurora is caused by charged particles from a solar event hitting the earth’s atmosphere.
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