Best places in Canada to see the Northern Lights

A new analysis has revealed the top spots in Canada to see the Aurora Borealis this year.

Iqaluit taking first place. The study surprisingly conducted by Spin Casino, ranked locations nationwide using four factors: distance from the North Pole, sky darkness based on the Bortle scale, overall night‑sky brightness measured by The Sky Quality Meter (SQM), and the percentage of clear skies annually.

Together, these measures point to cities with the best viewing conditions. The Bortle Scale rates sky darkness from 1 for pristine, star‑filled skies to 9 for heavily light‑polluted urban areas, while the SQM ranges from about 16 to 22, with higher scores meaning darker skies.

Here are the five Canadian destinations most likely to give visitors a spectacular Northern Lights show this year.:

1. Iqaluit, Nunavut, climbs three spots from last year. Sitting inside the auroral zone and 2,912 kms from the North Pole, the city posts an SQM reading of 19.22 mag/arcsec² and a Bortle score of 6.5, giving travellers a solid chance of seeing the lights.
2. Cold Lake, Alta., is 3,939 kms from the pole, it offers a sky brightness of 19.73 mag/arcsec² and a Bortle rating of 5.5, dark enough for bright stars and aurora displays with only partial light pollution.
3. Meadow Lake, Sask, comes in third and also jumps three spots from last year, supported by 43% clear‑sky conditions and an SQM reading of 19.66 mag/arcsec² — strong indicators for reliable aurora viewing.
4. Yellowknife is closer to the North Pole than Cold Lake and Meadow Lake at 3,073, but tends to have cloudier skies and more light pollution, meaning it takes fourth place.
5. Dawson Creek, BC, hits No. 5 for Northern Lights spotting this year.

Rounding out the top 10 are Fort Nelson,  Prince Albert, Fort McMurray, Whitehorse, Fort St. John, and Thompson, Man.

-News97.ca with files from openjaw.com