[Jwo85]

I know you can see them in the U.P.

When does this event happen, I would love to make a trip up there and see it.

[jeeg]

Well I've been here since 4/06 and I'm still waiting to see it.

However while living just north of Grand Rapids, MI I saw it from my yard in the fall of '04 and it was beautiful!!

[Driller1]

I have from mid-Michigan too.

[SpaceGhost79]

There's no set time period that the aurora happens. It all depends on the sun's activity. I suggest visiting http://spaceweather.com. That'll give you the best idea of when to be prepared to see it.

[Bydand]

I've seen them as early as Aug 26th. Other years not at all. No set time frame they happen.

[kcam213]

What do they look like?

My husband say it is just lighted horizon where there is no logical reason for lights... the city lights from a distance where there should be darkness and woods.

But I see pics of COLORED lights haze higher in the sky. Are these pics colorized to accentuate the lights... or do they really appear as colored haze with the naked eye?

Here is an example pic of northern lights from the web:

[Bydand]

Down this far it is unusual to see many colors. Mainly a greenish, sometimes a reddish tint. I have never seen them low on the horizon where they look like lights form a city. Usually they "dance" from the horizon to very high in the sky. Sometimes they form almost a half-dome above your head and have swirls going from the horizon to the top so they kind of look like flames or waves. They are beautiful when they decide to show up.

I have sat up while out camping and watched a very nice night of Northern Lights playing across the sky until just before dawn. -10F and a fresh snowfall made it stunning. That one had greens, blues, and some reds in it.

[mofromcheboygankalamazoo]

growing up in cheboygan we saw them many times and most of the time they were a green sometimes red....white too...they danced i loved seeing them!!! it is weird that many people have not seen them to me!

[xlabel]

It was winter 02 around 2 or 3 am and lights were shining and flickering off my bedroom walls, I thought it was fire truck and police lights,like some kind of wreck in the front yard. I was to tired to get up and check it out but on the news the next morning they said it was one of the rare times the Aurora was so viewable this far south in Kalamazoo, and I missed them.

[yachtcare]

Originally Posted by kcam213

What do they look like?
Here is an example pic of northern lights from the web:

Many of the pictures of Aurora Borealis published on the web are time exposures of several seconds, or so, to give an accentuated view of the colors and brightness.
I witnessed it several times from the thumb area when growing up. A dark sky is essential.
I'd second the suggestion of the spaceweather website. They even have an "alert" subcription service where they'll call your phone to notify you of a geomagnetic storm(aurora borealis) in progress.

P.S. what your husband describes, sounds more like "zodiacal light"....