Filming the Northern Lights in Alaska

Planning guides
Written by Brendan Wells

Plan aurora shoots between late August and mid-April, when Alaska's nights are dark enough, and schedule crew for the hours around midnight. Fairbanks and the Interior see aurora most often. Southcentral gets it on more active nights, with mountains and glaciers in the foreground.

By Brendan Wells · Last checked November 2026 · Part of our Filming in Alaska guide

When is northern lights season in Alaska?

The aurora happens all year, but Alaska's summer sky is too bright to film it. Around the June solstice, civil twilight lasts all night in Anchorage. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute (UAF GI) puts the Fairbanks viewing season at roughly August 21 to April 21.

  • Season

    Late August to mid-April. Near either end, the sky is dark for only a short window each night.

  • Best months

    Near the equinoxes. UAF GI says Interior odds are roughly twice as high at the equinox as at the solstice, which favors September and March.

  • Best hours

    Around midnight. UAF GI points to the three or four hours centered on midnight, and 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. in Interior winters.

  • Moon

    New or third quarter. Moonlight washes out faint aurora, so UAF GI recommends these phases for photography.

UAF GI expected the solar maximum in 2024-25 and notes that auroral activity tends to peak about a year after it.

Should you film in Fairbanks or Southcentral Alaska?

Aurora is most common under the auroral oval, a ring around the magnetic pole. In quiet conditions it sits around 67 to 68 degrees geomagnetic latitude and expands south as activity rises. Activity is measured by Kp, a 0 to 9 index of global geomagnetic activity; anything above 5 is a storm. UAF GI teaching material gives a rough rule: a Kp of 2 can bring active aurora as far south as Fairbanks, and a Kp of 3 as far south as Anchorage.

Fairbanks and the Interior: more aurora nights, boreal forest and rolling hills for foregrounds, deeper cold and very short days. Fairbanks gets about 3 hours 41 minutes of daylight at the December solstice.

Southcentral: fewer aurora nights, but the foregrounds are mountains, glaciers and coastline within a couple of hours of Anchorage. Get away from city lights: valleys outside town, such as the Knik River or Hatcher Pass in the Talkeetna Mountains, are far darker. See our favorite filming locations.

How do you read an aurora forecast?

We use the UAF GI Aurora Forecast, which brings NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data together in one place:

  • A 3-day Kp forecast in 3-hour blocks, the most reliable view for booking nights.

  • A 27-day outlook based on the sun's roughly 27-day rotation. It's less reliable, but an active day now can mean another one 27 days later.

  • A 30-minute forecast from NOAA's OVATION model, updated every 5 minutes, for deciding when to roll.

Kp matters less inside the auroral oval, where local activity can be strong on a low-Kp night. Clouds matter most: you need dark sky that's at least partly clear, so check a cloud forecast too. UAF GI says three or more nights in clear weather make a sighting highly likely, though never certain. We schedule aurora work as multi-night holds with flexible call times.

How do you plan a crew for a cold night shoot?

Interior nights get very cold. Fairbanks averaged -14°F in January 2026 and hit -50°F on January 4, according to the Alaska Climate Research Center. A crew standing still for hours needs more than warm clothes:

  • A heated base a short walk away: a vehicle parked out of frame, a cabin or a heated tent.

  • Short rotations outside, hot food and drinks, and buddy checks for frostbite on faces and fingers.

  • Red-light headlamps so crew can work without ruining night vision or the shot.

  • Extra drive time on icy roads, plus satellite communication and an evacuation plan at remote sites.

Our winter filming plan covers clothing, transport and safety by department.

How do you keep cameras and batteries working on aurora nights?

  • Cold drains batteries fast. Keep spares warm inside jackets or a heated vehicle, and run long time-lapses from larger batteries in insulated covers.

  • Lenses frost over as they cool. Lens heater bands keep the front glass clear.

  • Don't breathe on the lens or viewfinder. Breath freezes on contact.

  • Condensation is the bigger risk at the end of the night. Seal cameras and lenses in bags before going indoors and let them warm up before opening.

  • Focus manually on a bright star and tape the focus ring. Autofocus hunts in the dark.

  • Time-lapse picks up faint aurora. Real-time video needs a camera that stays clean at high ISO and a fast lens.

Visiting crews can rent our RED cinema cameras, lenses, lighting, grip and more through Alaska camera rentals.

Questions

What month is best to film the northern lights in Alaska?

The season runs from late August to mid-April. Months near the equinoxes, September and March, have the best odds, and March also gives you longer days for daytime work.

Can you film the northern lights from Anchorage?

Yes, on more active nights. UAF Geophysical Institute teaching material says a Kp of about 3 can bring active aurora as far south as Anchorage. Get away from city lights for the best results.

How many nights should we plan for an aurora shoot?

At least three clear nights. UAF GI says that makes a sighting highly likely but never certain, so we book flexible multi-night holds.

Which aurora forecast should we use?

The UAF Geophysical Institute's Aurora Forecast. It shows a 3-day Kp forecast, a 27-day outlook and NOAA's 30-minute forecast in one place. Check a cloud forecast as well.

Planning a shoot in Alaska?

Tell us your dates and the look you want, and we'll plan the nights around the forecast. Start a project or call (907) 521-8133. We reply within one business day.

Sources

Brendan Wells https://mountainmind.media
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