Thoughts On Chasing the Northern Lights and Other Celestial Phenomena in Chicagoland . . . and 30+ Tips/Resources to Help You Find Them

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG 

UPDATED JUNE 2025

Marvelous and spectacular things happen in the sky each evening after the sun slips behind the horizon—some of which we see with the naked eye, while others occur just beyond our vision.

In dark and lonely spaces, one can glimpse meteor showers, comets, the Milky Way, and all the wonderful constellations that we’ve created myths and stories about for millennia.

I’ve traveled to many dark corners of our country and spent hours gazing at these beautiful sights. You have not lived until you’ve seen the Milky Way in all its glory and the seemingly millions of stars (I know the number is lower) in the pitch-black skies of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, New Mexico, Hawaii, and other locales. Or watched a steady stream of Perseid meteors flash across the sky as you listen to a crackling campfire and the gentle rolling waves of Lake Superior meeting the sandy shore. Seeing these sights makes me feel both wonder and humility. Wonder, because they’re beautiful and convey the complexity of our universe. Humility, because they make me feel small and insignificant amidst the vastness of our natural world. In this often ego-driven, me-first world, maybe more people need to experience this feeling.

But in Chicago and its more urban suburbs, light pollution washes away most of these wonders, and that’s a shame—but light pollution remediation efforts are in progress in many forward-thinking communities.

But I still search for celestial wonders from my far Northwest Side backyard—whether it’s a solar or lunar eclipse, multi-planet conjunction, rare comet (such as the Comet C/2023A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which last appeared in our skies 80,000 years ago…I saw it back in 2024), and in the past year or so, the splendid Aurora Borealis.

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report that the sun has reached its maximum phase in its 11-year solar cycle. The results: Northern Lights sightings have been ubiquitous in Chicagoland and areas further south for the past year+ or so. Many people who have never seen the Northern Lights—and only hoped to do so in Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, or Northern Europe—have been lucky to glimpse the lights. From my backyard, I viewed the Northern Lights on May 10, August 11, September 16, and October 6, 7, and 10, 2024—mostly through my phone . . . more on that later . . . but at times with the naked eye. (NASA says that the May 10 solar storm was the “strongest geomagnetic storm at Earth in two decades—and possibly among the strongest displays of auroras on record in the past 500 years.”) The October 10 storm was also very powerful.

How Auroras Form

“Auroras are brilliant ribbons of light weaving across Earth’s northern or southern polar regions. These natural light shows are caused by magnetic storms that have been triggered by solar activity, such as solar flares (explosions on the Sun) or coronal mass ejections (ejected gas bubbles). Energetic charged particles from these events are carried from the Sun by the solar wind. When these particles seep through Earth’s magnetosphere, they cause substorms. Then fast moving particles slam into our thin, high atmosphere, colliding with Earth’s oxygen and nitrogen particles. As these air particles shed the energy they picked up from the collision, each atom starts to glow in a different color.” –NASA

I’m not the only one who seems to have gone crazy for auroras and other celestial phenomena. Social media feeds and news stories are full of aurora, comet, planet, eclipse, and star photos. I’m pleased that more people are embracing sky-gazing because:

• looking up at the sky and learning more about the planets, comets, the moon, and the Northern Lights takes us away from our troubles and re-focuses our attention from the often-toxic world of social media, chronic gun violence, and the terrible state of political discourse in our country
• stargazing is a fun and free activity in which people of any age can participate; take that, $1,088 Taylor Swift concert tickets!
• stargazing brings people together from all different backgrounds; there’s probably a fantastic Hallmark Christmas movie waiting to be made about two opposites “meeting cute” and finding love as they chase the Northern Lights in a picturesque New England town (maybe it’s already been done)    

On Chasing the Northern Lights in Chicago

For my entire life, I’ve dreamt of seeing the Northern Lights. I even created a painting of them when I was in my 20s. As mentioned, I’ve seen them several times in Chicago, but also once at Miller Beach on the Indiana shore (they were a white, swirling mess) and very briefly on a flight to Iceland in late March (no luck the rest of the time in this Northern Lights-viewing mecca). But these views were not the colorful, vivid, and dancing Northern Lights of my dreams, photos, and PBS documentaries. Yet, I sit in my backyard, waiting for glimpses of light pollution-diminished lights that still make my heart leap and conjure a sense of wonder and mystery in my heart.

I initially questioned my hours of sitting in the backyard waiting for a glimpse of the lights, but I’ve come to view my search for the Northern Lights as a form of meditation and nature immersion. It serves as a great way for me to slow down, and my backyard “big-sit” (to borrow a term used by avid birders) demonstrates that meeting your goals (even fun ones) takes time and dedication and may not end in success. Sometimes the chase is as much fun as the prize. In our backyards and the wilder places of the world, there is no Internet (unless you decide to use it), no TV, no family conversations, no home office calling you back to work, and no other external stimuli nipping at you like a hungry dog. In the semi-darkness, the world is distilled to the sights, smells, and sounds of the outdoors.

As I wait, I either sit without a thought in the world gazing at the sky or let my thoughts run wild regarding the natural environment around me. In my yard, I:

• savor the scents of rosemary, basil, and other herbs in my garden
• wonder how long my tomatoes and peppers will last into fall
• listen to the last of the birds settling down for the night
• plan next year’s garden (I forgot to plant kale, beets, and garlic this year . . . next year)
• enjoy the sight of the Big Dipper and other constellations and look for planets
• simply walk around the yard in the dark enjoying the sights of my native plants and trees in the magical glimmer of the streetlights through tree branches.

I also check the status of the “team” of milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus for the bug name droppers amongst my readers) that have appeared in my backyard for the first time this year. They are striking, and I’ve watched them double in size over the last few weeks.

As I walk in the yard to stretch my legs in between long periods of skygazing, I must admit that my attention occasionally wanders to the sights and sounds of my neighborhood:

• the blue flashing lights of police cars
• the planes lining up in the sky to the east preparing to land at O’Hare
• the angry beeping of impatient drivers at our intersection
• the raucous conversations spilling out of the bar across the street
• the weaving people sometimes led out of that bar to their cars by friends on each side.

One night, I saw two women dancing hand-in-hand in the doorway of the bar. A moment of bliss captured in time. Some people are just fine without the Northern Lights, and that’s fine, too.

But on star-watching nights, I soon move back to my backyard’s sheltered-from-the-streetlights/porchlights spot. It’s luckily graced with three apple trees, as well as several towering trees just beyond my fence. Unless there’s a massive solar storm, viewing the Northern Lights in Chicago is like seeing Babe Ruth hitting a home run from 1,000 feet away rather than watching him crush the ball from behind home plate, but I’ll take it within the Chicago city limits. From my backyard, I see no vivid, dancing lights that overtake the sky, but typically small areas of pink or, on the best days, striking pink pillars that seem to magically appear where there was once just the night sky.   

Cameras vs. Naked Eyes

I only occasionally see swatches of pink in the sky with my own eyes. My phone camera does all the work. I initially was wowed by my camera’s capabilities, but then turned off by the experience of viewing the aurora through my camera. I soon realized that this technology that we often take for granted allows us to glimpse wonders in the sky that we usually can’t see with our own eyes. Our phone cameras provide us Chicagoans with a more beautiful nighttime sky than we can see regularly. That’s a positive in a world that needs a little more beauty, wonder, spontaneity, and imagination. It’s a great thing if the cameras on our phones fuel interest in the night sky (especially the Aurora Borealis). I always favor technology that’s not destructive but, rather, creates beauty and wonder in our hearts and minds. Smart phone cameras also provide a window to another world for the elderly, the infirm, and the economically disadvantaged who may never get the chance to see the Northern Lights in all their glory at higher latitudes. Of course, if given the opportunity, I’d rather see auroras with my naked eye, but that’s rare in Chicagoland.   

A Northern Lights Extravaganza at Illinois Beach State Park

On October 10, space weather forecasters predicted a severe solar storm for the northern U.S., including Chicago. There was a chance that the lights would be visible to the naked eye. My plan was to head to Illinois Beach State Park. It’s one of my favorite hiking spots, and about 44 miles northeast of my home. There are only 63 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline in Illinois (as opposed to 3,288 miles in Michigan), and much of this land has been developed as part of city lakefronts, heavy industry, and private beachfront property. Illinois Beach State Park is the last remaining large swath of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline in the state. It’s a place where you can still have a natural experience at the lakeshore—especially if you get away from the popular beaches and picnic areas.

With the setting sun as my companion, I drove north on I-294 before turning onto main thoroughfares that gradually took me to narrower and darker roads. I love driving through other people’s towns and seeing what they see each day. 

I arrived around 7:15 and parked in the nearly empty beach parking lot. Did everyone know something I didn’t know? Was it a bad viewing spot? Was I too early? Would my car get towed? My concerns were unfounded. I walked on the sand away from the parking lot and used my phone camera to view the sky, which, with the naked eye, was a mix of white and very light pink. I was dumbfounded to see the sky awash in color—in shades and volume that I’d never seen from my yard. I found a spot on a sand bank near the shore and savored my good fortune—great views of the lights (including a SAR Arc to the right of the lights), the crashing of the waves, and the relative solitude of the beach just an hour from 3 million people in Chicago.  

My solitude did not last. The lot gradually filled with cars, and families, groups of young friends, and older and younger couples gathered on the beach. It was a great crowd. People were polite and focused on the sky. Children ran back and forth and occasionally pointed to the heavens. I heard a lot of backward counting in Spanish as people took their selfies. A gentle family party atmosphere took hold, and I was charmed by the communal element of a large group of people getting together—not at a sporting event or a political rally—but to enjoy the night sky together.

Then with my own eyes, I saw a willowy red pillar emerge in the sky around 9:00 p.m., and it grew brighter and brighter.  It stretched from right over the water and reached nearly to the sky above me. The crowd oohed and aahed. A little girl yelled, “Now we don’t have to go to Iceland!, I’m seeing the northern lights with my own eyes,” and I laughed to myself. I stood awestruck as this enchanting red ribbon (with green in the background) danced a little in the sky. The red ribbon lingered above me for perhaps 10 to 15 minutes, waxing and waning in brightness. I’m so glad that I convinced my “getting-old, talk-myself-out-of-going-out” self to get in the car and head out on a Thursday night. Even in its diminished, light-polluted form, the Northern Lights were spectacular.

When the red ribbon finally diminished, most of the crowd remained, hoping for another naked eye show. But with the exception of a few vivid flickers and a hazy white-red-green horizon, it was over—at least at 10:00 p.m. when I left.

I walked to my car, my head filled with vivid colors and memories. I drove the dark roads through the park, watching for deer on the road and occasionally taking quick glances at the sky. The roads grew wider and brighter, and I passed restaurants, churches, daycare centers, slot-machine “palaces,” silent factories, and some amazing Halloween yard displays, until I reached the bright lights of the interstate and headed for home.    

               

15 Tips/Tools for Learning About and Finding the Northern Lights and Other Heavenly Phenomena in Chicagoland

I’m not an expert, just someone with an avid interest in learning about and seeing the Aurora Borealis and other space phenomena, but the very basics to seeing the lights in Chicagoland are:

• dark, cloudless skies
• medium-to-high solar activity; and
• a lot of luck and patience because the lights are elusive and mercurial.

There is a tremendous amount of science behind monitoring solar storms and predicting when and where people may be able to see them. If you aren’t knowledgeable already, you should learn the basic science behind the Northern Lights (and the solar conditions that prompt them to appear). This knowledge will allow you to do more than just passively view an Aurora Borealis app—or ask “when will the lights be out?” on a Facebook Northern Lights Group (don’t be that person). Check out the following websites for Northern Lights basics, FAQs, photography tips, and other resources:

• Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis): What They Are and How to See Them 
• Tips on Viewing the Aurora
• Aurorasaurus (a citizen science site where you can report your aurora sightings and read a blog)
• Aurora Tutorial 
• 10 Illuminating Facts about the Northern Lights 
• Space Weather Prediction Center-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Space Weather Phenomena 
• NASA Aurora Brochure
• Adler Sky Observing 101: What To See

Useful Apps

Here are the apps that I use:

• My Aurora Forecast
• Aurora Forecast
• Aurora Now
• AuroraAlerts

Where to See the Aurora in Chicagoland

The simple answer: places with as dark skies as possible and good northern sightlines.

If you live in Chicago or along the shore of Lake Michigan, visit the lakefront to try to glimpse the Northern Lights. In Chicago, many people have had success viewing the lights from Foster Beach and Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary. Steelworkers Park (open till 11:00 p.m.) and South Shore Nature Sanctuary also are possible good spots along the Chicago lakefront. The 606 Trail (which is open until 11:00 p.m. daily) provides relatively good sightlines to the north, but it does have light pollution. To find a good park spot by you, I suggest exploring your local parks to find the darkest spots and best sight lines.

Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) sites and preserves in other nearby districts close at sunset, so they are not typically good options for skygazing. But FPCC and other forest preserve district nature centers occasionally offer nighttime sky walks that might allow you to glimpse the Northern Lights. One great option is to book a night of camping at Camp Bullfrog Lake in the Palos Preserves. The Palos Preserves have been designated the largest Urban Night Sky Place in the world by DarkSky International, which “restores the nighttime environment and protects communities from the harmful effects of light pollution through outreach, advocacy, and conservation.” The Adler Planetarium says that approximately four times as many stars are visible over the Palos Preserves than you can see from Chicago. Other FPCC camping options include Camp Dan Beard, Camp Reinberg, Camp Shabbona Woods, and Camp Sullivan. Click here to reserve sites.   

Several communities in Illinois have also received recognition as dark sky locations from DarkSky International. They are:

• Homer Glen, Illinois
• Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
• Beverly Shores, Indiana

Some forest preserve districts offer stargazing areas at select preserves. For example, McHenry County Conservation District’s Marengo Ridge Conservation Area offers stargazing from the area’s front parking lots (before the locked gates) by permit only, free of charge. Interested parties should call 815/338-6223, ext. 1211 at least 48 hours in advance (or by Thursday at noon for the upcoming Saturday/Sunday) to obtain a permit.

Area state and national parks can provide excellent opportunities for stargazing—especially if you book a cabin or camping spot. Some of my favorites include Illinois Beach State Park, Indiana Dunes National Park, and Indiana Dunes State Park.

Finally, the Adler Planetarium offers Adler Sky Observing 101: Where to Go, an extensive list of local skywatching destination ideas, as well as many other resources.

Copyright (text): Andrew Morkes, except quoted material

Copyright (photos): Andrew Morkes

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Looking for some great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $18.99. Nature in Chicagoland received great reviews in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Southtown, This Week in Birding blog, and Beverly Review.

ABOUT ANDREW MORKES

I have been a writer and editor for more than 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of “The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends” blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school for five years. 

In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 70 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series) and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades and Cool Careers in Science series).

Here’s a list of the environmental-focused titles that I’ve written:

• Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit
• Wind Turbine Technicians (Great Careers Without a Bachelor’s Degree series)
• Environmental Scientists (Cool Careers in Science series)
• Renewable Energy Careers (Cool Careers in Science series)
• Environment (Getting Started series)
• Solar Power Technicians (Careers in Infrastructure series)