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Where to stand
Stop at the car park at the pass and walk away from the road. Look north and up to the zenith. The lights of Fairbanks are to the south-west, behind the ridge.
View towards the pole
Ridges to the north, and an open sky all round from the pass
Sky darkness (Bortle scale): 2
Rules and safety
Park only in the marked car park, not on the shoulder, because heavy vehicles use the road. A private ski area is next to the pass, so keep off its grounds. In winter it gets colder than minus 30 °C.
About the spot
Cleary Summit is a pass on the Steese Highway, about 30 km north-east of Fairbanks. It sits high above the valley, often above the winter fog that settles over the city. At a geomagnetic latitude of about 66°, the aurora is frequent and often passes high overhead.
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