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Yellowknife is a popular place to see the aurora and thousands of Japanese tourists visit every year to see the mysterious phenomenon. The aurora is a phenomenon caused by the collision of charged particles emitted from the sun, which are pulled to the earth by magnetic attraction. The collision occurs when the charged particles enter the atmosphere. The aurora is continuously moving above the sky at about 100 to 400 kms above the ground. The color of aurora changes according to the type of particles in the collision and the shape changes depending on the place where it is viewed from. Further away, the aurora appear as a curtain or an arc although when viewed from directly below, they appear as strands of light in one area of the sky. This impressive sight can be seen in Yellowknife, one of the very best places to view aurora. A doughnut-shaped band centered around the magnetic north pole called the "aurora oval" can only be seen from places directly below and Yellowknife is located in such a position. In addition, as the land around Yellowknife is flat, the rate of clear weather in winter is high and clouds are seldom present to obscure the aurora. Therefore, it is said that there is a more than 95% chance of seeing the aurora if observed for three nights continuously. The best season to see the aurora is from December to the middle of April although it can be seen all year round and many people visit in August and September when the weather is more forgiving. The aurora cannot be seen during summer due to the lateness of the setting sun and high snowfall in spring and fall make winter the best season for viewing this stellar phenomenon. Various aurora viewing tours are available from one-day trips to four-day/three-night tours with accommodation and services. It is advised to visit a frozen lake away from the city in order to see beautiful aurora; after warming up in the facilities provided by the tour company repeated ventures into the cold between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. stands one in good stead to witness the dancing aurora. With the wind chill factor, the temperatures are as low as minus 50 degrees on windy January nights so it is essential to utilize the arctic-rated equipment prepared by the tour companies. A flashlight and contact lenses (for glasses wearers to prevent fogging) are also recommended. Touring companies hosting aurora viewing tours Aurora Village TEL 867-669-0006 FAX 867-669-0106 URL http://www.auroravillage.com After viewing aurora in the middle of the night, one can enjoy daytime activities amongst the far north flora and fauna prepared by the tour companies. Riding a sled pulled by ten or so large huskies through the winter wilderness is the most popular daytime activity. Those adventurous enough can guide their own team of huskies. Warm clothes are essential for this trip. For those that enjoy watching nature, a caribou viewing tour is top of the list. This involves searching for caribou from a light aircraft and landing near enough to watch them. If you are lucky, you can see up to a hundred or more. Driving a snowmobile does not require any special license and it is an easy way to enjoy the wild landscape. It is easy to get carried away and staying at a sensible speed is the trickiest part of this adventure.