Fairbanks vs Reykjavík for the northern lights
Fairbanks wins on the numbers: a viewing window on 39% of season nights against 28% for Reykjavík, peaking in January at 53%.
| Fairbanks | Reykjavík | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States (Alaska) | Iceland |
| Solar activity needed (Kp threshold — lower is better) | 2 | 2 |
| Season length (months with dark skies) | 9 | 9 |
| Best month | January (53%) | January (32%) |
| Season-average viewing nights | 39% | 28% |
| Clear-night share across the season | 49% | 36% |
Month by month
Two different trips
Fairbanks — North America’s aurora basecamp
Fairbanks sits under the auroral oval in Alaska’s dry interior — far from coastal cloud, with long, cold, clear winter nights. The University of Alaska has studied the aurora here for over a century.
Reykjavík — Aurora over the land of fire and ice
Reykjavík sits just south of the auroral oval, so displays need a touch more geomagnetic activity than in Arctic Norway — but Iceland rewards you with volcanic foregrounds and easy self-drive escapes from city light.