Aurora Tonight

Live NASA Space Weather

Northern lights
forecast tonight

Live geomagnetic storm data, Kp index, and upcoming solar events. Everything you need to know whether the aurora will be visible from your location.

Moderate activity · Kp 6

Tonight's forecast

Aurora activity detected. Kp6 storm in progress. Good viewing conditions at high latitudes tonight.

G2 - Moderate

Kp index

6

of 9

Geomagnetic activity scale

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Quiet G1 storm G3 Extreme

Where can you see the northern lights?

Tromsø Reykjavik Fairbanks Helsinki London New York 40°N50°N60°N70°N80°N N
Auroral oval Aurora visible Below limit

At the current Kp 6, aurora is visible from latitudes above 55°N: Scotland, Iceland, Alaska, southern Canada.

Kp 5+

Norway, northern Canada, Alaska

Kp 6+

Scotland, Iceland, southern Canada

Kp 7+

N. England, N. US, central Europe

Kp 8+

England, France, Germany, most of US

Incoming solar events

Earth-directed CMEs with predicted arrival times.

No Earth-directed CMEs detected in the next 7 days.

View 7-day outlook →

Recent solar flares

M and X class flares from the past 7 days. X-class are the strongest.

M1.8

4 May, 01:33 UTC

Peak time (UTC)

X-class flares are the most powerful solar events and frequently trigger CMEs that cause aurora.

Data fetched at 7 May, 12:43 UTC · Refreshes every 30 minutes

Tips for viewing the northern lights

Dark skies

Get away from city light pollution. Rural areas, coastlines, and hilltops are best. Even small towns reduce visibility significantly.

Clear skies

Cloud cover is the biggest obstacle. Check a local weather forecast. Even a partially clear night can give good windows.

Face north

Stand with your back to the south and face the northern horizon. The aurora usually starts low on the horizon as a green glow.

Right time

Peak aurora hours are between 10 pm and 2 am local time, when magnetic midnight aligns with solar midnight at your longitude.

Common questions

Everything you need to know about the northern lights and how to see them.

What is the Kp index?
The Kp index is a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm). It is updated every 3 hours based on ground magnetometer readings worldwide. Values of 5 or above indicate a geomagnetic storm and potential aurora visibility.
What Kp do I need to see the northern lights?
It depends on your latitude. At high latitudes (Norway, Iceland, Canada above 60°N) aurora can be visible even at Kp 3–4. In Scotland or Alaska you typically need Kp 5+. Northern England and the northern US need Kp 6–7. Further south - France, Germany, most of the US - you need Kp 7 or higher.
What is a CME?
A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a large cloud of plasma and magnetic field erupted from the Sun. If Earth-directed, it typically arrives 1–3 days after eruption and can trigger geomagnetic storms. The larger and faster the CME, the stronger the storm it can produce.
What are the best conditions for viewing the aurora?
You need dark skies away from light pollution, a clear horizon to the north, and geomagnetic activity above Kp 5 for your latitude. The best viewing window is typically between 10 pm and 2 am local time. A new moon phase also helps by reducing background light.
Where does this data come from?
All space weather data is fetched from NASA's Space Weather Database Of Notifications, Knowledge, Information (DONKI). It is maintained by the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) and includes geomagnetic storm records, CME analyses, and solar flare data.
How often is this forecast updated?
The forecast is refreshed every 30 minutes from the NASA DONKI API. Geomagnetic conditions can change rapidly, especially during active periods, so check back regularly when aurora activity is elevated.