MADISON, Wis. – Whenever the northern lights are visible in Wisconsin, people do their best to get a look. It’s not always easy, though.

Sam Warfel had always been interested in photography. A few years ago, he fell in love with the aurora borealis.

“I had never even thought you could see it from this far south, I thought that was an Alaska/Canada thing,” he said. “But you can!”

He’s now studying astronomy and the auroras at UW-Madison. His dream is to end up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where viewing is the best in America.

“It took me a year and a half before I saw it myself for the first time,” Warfel said. “It took a while, but I got there!”

It’s been a good year for seeing the auroras. He does it mostly from the Madison area.

“We had the two strongest storms we’ve had in a decade or more,” he said. “Bright aurora that I could see with the naked eye, almost right overhead.”

Warfel said it’s easier to see the lights through a camera lens than with the naked eye. He said even a smartphone will do.

“Modern smartphones have such good cameras that they can take pretty good pictures of the aurora,” he said. “Not quite as nice as professional cameras, but the best camera is the one you have!”

Finding a good spot is key. He recommends somewhere with a wide view of the horizon, and no light pollution. Being outside cities is a must. It can also take time for the eye to adjust to the pure darkness.

Even though Warfel has seen the lights quite a few times now, they never lose their magic.

“It changes, and dances, and moves,” he said. “You watch, and you go ‘oooh look at that!’ ‘Oooh look at that!’ It’s a show that keeps you staring at it.”

For more information on the storm and viewing information in Wisconsin, click here.