5 of the best places in Canada to see rare pink Northern Lights this year
The Northern Lights could turn pink this year, and the best place to see them is in Canada.
We’re so used to seeing shades of green and blue, but a pink-filled sky is quite rare. However, it turns out that 2026 is one of the best years in the past decade to spot the bubblegum hue.
The rare colour appears when energetic particles penetrate deeper into the atmosphere and interact with nitrogen molecules, according to the Canadian Space Agency.
Luckily for us, Canada has plenty of prime spots to try and catch the pink sky this year.
New research from Nordic airline Icelandair compared 35 aurora-viewing destinations across eight countries, looking at factors like darkness, accessibility, likelihood, scenery, and the vividness of pink auroras captured at each location.
And Canada scored well.
Maligne Lake in Jasper, Alta., has been crowned the best place in the world to see the pink Northern Lights in 2026.
According to Icelandair, aurora displays analyzed at Maligne Lake showed “a dominant vivid rose-pink.” The location also has a low Bortle rating of 3.2, meaning darker skies that can make the aurora’s colours and details easier to see against the night sky.
The surrounding mountains and Spirit Island also create prime conditions for aurora photography. And unlike many remote viewing locations, Maligne Lake is accessible by road and is relatively easy to reach from Jasper’s main resort area.
Within Canada, top spots include locations in Alberta, the Yukon, and Manitoba.
Prelude Lake near Yellowknife was ranked as the second-best spot to view the pink Northern Lights, with the likelihood of seeing them described as “very high” from September through April.
That compares with Maligne Lake, which, despite taking the top spot overall, has a “medium” likelihood of seeing the aurora according to Icelandair’s data.
Icelandair
While the best seasons for seeing the pink Northern Lights generally run from September to April in some locations, the viewing window can vary depending on where you are.
At Wood Buffalo National Park, on the border of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, the best time to see them may be during the winter months starting in December.
You don’t necessarily need a fancy Nikon or Canon to capture the pink lights. If all you’ve got is an iPhone, you can still wow friends online with stunning photos.
Experts recommend enabling the maximum exposure, turning off the flash, and adjusting the exposure level to a negative value in order to get the best results.