This Rocky Mountain ‘aurora cam’ live streams the northern lights in Alberta

Most of Canada has been lucky enough to see the northern lights quite a lot this year, but with temperatures dropping, you might not want to leave your house after sundown. Luckily, if you live in Alberta, there’s an aurora cam that continues to livestream the sky day and night.

Whether you can’t part with your sheets or are in an area with cloud coverage, Banff Sunshine Village has you covered.

The Aurora Cam

With an unobstructed view of Wawa Ridge and Mt. Bourgeau, this always-on camera is an easy way to see shades of green and pink dance across constellations.

Not sure when you should tune in?

We’d recommend visiting the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) websites for an accurate aurora forecast.

As Robyn Fiory, a research scientist and space weather duty forecaster with NRCan’s Canadian Hazards Information Service explained to Curiocity in February of 2024, you’ll see the northern lights more often over the next year.

This is due to the 11-year solar cycle which is coming to a head.

“There are predictions as to when our solar cycle is going to peak and we’re going to see that absolute maximum level,” she explained.

“The predictions right now say it’s going to happen roughly in 2024 or 2025.”

Fiory also added that this cycle is going to be bigger and better than those before it.

“What makes this solar cycle a bit more interesting is that our last 11-year solar cycle had a pretty weak peak compared to past solar cycles and our current solar cycle is already turning out to be a bit stronger than our last one. We’re seeing more activity now than we did near the peak of the last 11-year solar cycle.”

As always, we’ll keep you updated on major solar activity, but it probably won’t be long until it lights the night again.

When it does? Be sure to check out the beloved Alberta ski resort’s aurora cam.

It’s pretty spectacular!