Vitamin-D starved and seasonally affected, many Alaskans live for winter's snows. Others chase aurora borealis, a geomagnetic phenomenon that sometimes produces magnificent skylights out of the dark northern night.

Aurora borealis are best viewed in the dark, far from city lights and under clear skies. Here's a handy guide for aurora chasers and picture takers.

This time-lapse video, recorded Nov. 13 about 100 miles north of Anchorage between Sheep Mountain and Eureka Roadhouse, offers a glimpse of the winter prize that's consolation for 16 hours of night time. Brilliant and bold, the aurora envelops its audience in an otherworldly feeling, a chilling benediction for children of the universe hurtling through space.