Quote:
Originally Posted by Jen
whats the best times to try and see one of these 
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At night time Jen
I am going out after midnight to look (if the cloud racks off).
This will Help:
WHAT TIME OF NIGHT IS BEST FOR VIEWING THE AURORA?
It is difficult to say what exactly is the best time of night to view the aurora. There are however some generalizations:
Between 10:00pm to 2:00am seems to be the time frame most conducive to aurora activity, so say the scientists and my experience confirms that. Below is a quote from University of Alaska Geophysical Institute website:
“The best time to observe aurora is near local midnight, when the most active forms often occur. More precisely, the time to shoot for is an hour or two prior to local geomagnetic midnight, and the forecast maps found here are calculated for that time. If you are a serious aurora watcher, plan to spend the night from about 9 P.M. to 3 A.M. watching for auroral action. Auroral activity tends to come in waves during an evening, which are called auroral substorms. Even during an active period, there will be lulls in which the auroral activity is subdued; however, the patient observer will often see a new burst of activity within an hour or two.”
Stay awake and be ready. I’ve never had much luck by going to sleep and then checking periodically. By the time you actually get dressed and get all the camera gear ready, the show can easily be over.
Plan to spend a chunk of time viewing. The aurora displays and activity follows a somewhat predictable pattern. Whether it is a homogenous arc, a rayed arc, or a corona, they present different types of photo opportunities, at different times of the night.
Scout your location in daylight and thus be ready. Displays can vary in duration, sometimes hours, sometimes only minutes. Be prepared when the action happens.
Remember, it varies widely. I try to get out as early in the night as possible with hopes of catching a little bit of the fading dusk light (and it does not take much) since it offers some wonderful blue colors in the sky.
(Alaska PhotographyBlog.com)