Best places to see the Northern Lights

(WTOL) - The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are on the bucket list of many.

The lights are charged particles from the sun interacting with the earth’s upper atmosphere, creating a brilliantly spectacular show that only nature could pull off.

The stunning lights in the night sky would be an amazing sight to behold, and some living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula just might get that chance as a moderate geomagnetic storm dips south this weekend.

If you’re not able to see them there, here are the best places to see the Northern Lights every year, according to Travel and Leisure:

1. Fairbanks, Alaska - Travel and Leisure says Fairbanks lies directly beneath a band of of aurora activity, enabling citizens and visitors to enjoy the lights from August to the end of April from 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.
2. Svalbard, Norway - Svaldbard is a string of Arctic islands between Norway and the North Pole. According to Travel and Leisure, the islands are in 24-hour darkness from November to February, offering an opportunity to not only see the lights, but see them during the day.
3. Finland - Finland is a great place to check out lights, as Travel and Leisure says the Northern Lights can be seen more than 200 nights a year in the country.
4. Tromso, Norway - Travel and Leisure says Tromso is Norway’s largest city and is in the middle of the auroral oval. This means the city has the highest chance of seeing the lights.
5. Greenland - Visitors can take a trip to Greenland from September to the beginning of April to catch the Northern Lights during aurora season. Travel and Leisure says Greenland’s minimal pollution and near-perfect visibility in some locations make this a prime spot to check out the lights.
6. Yukon, Canada - Take a drive up to our neighbors to the north to see the lights from August to mid-April. Travel and Leisure says you can enjoy the lights for hours there depending on cloud conditions, light pollution and the night’s auroral activity.
7. Scotland - Travel and Leisure says the Northern Lights are actually called the Mirrie Dancers in Scotland, but are still just as beautiful. In the U.K., the lights can be seen in the fall and winter months, but the best place to check them out is the northern most parts of the Scottish Highlands or the Shetland Islands.
8. Churchill, Canada - According to Travel and Leisure, Churchill gets to experience the wonder of the lights more than 300 nights per year.
9. Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania - For those of us in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, we wouldn’t even have to buy a plane ticket to see the Northern Lights; just hop in the car and take a drive to Pennsylvania. Travel and Leisure says Cherry Springs State Park is isolated from all the lights of any big city and makes for a good place to catch the lights.
10. Iceland - Travel to southern Iceland to see the lights, or just check out the Hotel Ranga’s webcam for a live stream of the lights in the sky. You won’t even have to get off the couch to enjoy them!
11. Sweden - Travel and Leisure also advises Lapland, Sweden as a Northern Lights destination. North of the Arctic Circle, as a place to see the lights, as well as Abisko, Sweden at the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko. Travel and Leisure says the station is located 984 yards above sea level and has little light or noise pollution, making it a great place to view the splendor of the lights.