The return of winter darkness and sub-zero temperatures comes with at least one bright side for residents of Northern Canada – the return of aurora borealis displays. Luckily for those of us living in southern latitudes, we too can now watch the show from the relative comfort of warmer climates.

The live webcam, called AuroraMax, was launched Sept. 20 by the Canadian Space Agency, in partnership with the University of Calgary and Astronomy North. The camera, located in Yellowknife, Northern Territories (right), shoots an 180-degree view of the sky, which produces a circular image.

The camera goes live between dusk and dawn, which is currently about 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. EST (or 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. GMT). The webcam will be live until May 2012.

The gallery above showcases the best displays captured so far.

Gallery Images and video: Canadian Space Agency/University of Calgary/Astronomy North.

Map: Google Maps

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