Aurora Tonight

UK aurora guide

Best time to see the northern lights in the UK

Timing matters for aurora watching. The season, time of night, and phase of the solar cycle all affect whether you get a display. Here is what the data actually shows.

The aurora season in the UK

The UK has a defined aurora season, running from late September through to late March. Outside these months, nights are short enough at UK latitudes that there is limited time when the sky is fully dark. In northern Scotland during June and July, there is no true astronomical darkness at all.

September – October

Excellent

Equinox months see elevated geomagnetic activity. Nights are long enough for a good viewing window. Autumn weather is variable but can produce clear spells.

November – December

Good

Longest nights of the year. More cloud on average than autumn. Storms can occur at any time - worth monitoring when activity is elevated.

January – February

Good

Still long nights and cold, clear spells more common. Pre-equinox activity can begin building through February.

March

Excellent

Spring equinox month. Historically one of the most active months for geomagnetic storms. Nights still long enough for extended viewing windows.

April – May

Marginal

Nights getting shorter. Strong storms can still produce UK aurora. The May 2024 event showed that significant activity is possible even in late spring.

June – August

Avoid

Twilight persists all night at Scottish latitudes. Only extreme storms (Kp 8-9) would break through, and those are rare regardless of season.

Time of night

Aurora displays follow a loose pattern tied to magnetic midnight - the time at which your longitude aligns with the midnight sector of the magnetosphere. For UK longitudes, this falls broadly between 10 pm and 1 am GMT/UTC. Activity can extend well before and after this window during strong storms.

Substorms - sudden, bright intensifications within a display - can trigger without warning at any time during the night. The best strategy is to be outside in a dark location when Kp is elevated, and to stay out for at least an hour. Displays that look faint or quiet can intensify rapidly within minutes.

First light starts around 05:00 in winter at UK latitudes. Displays visible before dawn are not uncommon during extended storm events.

The solar cycle and where we are now

The Sun follows an approximately 11-year cycle of activity. Near solar maximum, the number of sunspots, solar flares, and CMEs increases significantly. Near solar minimum, quiet conditions can persist for weeks at a time.

Solar cycle 25 peaked around 2024-2025 - and performed stronger than most predictions suggested it would. This is why aurora sightings from UK latitudes became unusually frequent from 2023 onwards, culminating in the multi-night UK-wide displays in May 2024.

Activity will gradually decline through 2026-2028 as the cycle moves toward its next minimum (expected around 2030). Significant storms can still occur on the declining slope of the cycle, but frequency drops. If you want to see aurora from the UK, the next two to three years remain the best window in a decade.

What you need on any given night

Kp high enough for your latitude

Scotland needs Kp 3-4+. Northern England needs Kp 5-6+. London needs Kp 7+. Check the live forecast here.

Clear sky overhead

Cloud is the primary obstacle. Check a local sky forecast - apps like ClearOutside give cloud cover by hour. A partially clear night with gaps can still work.

Dark location

Light pollution from towns and cities reduces contrast. Get at least 20-30 minutes from any significant light source. Hilltops and coastlines facing north are ideal.

Time: 10 pm to 2 am

The optimal magnetic midnight window for UK longitudes. You can see aurora outside this range during active storms, but this is the highest-probability period.

New or thin crescent moon

A full moon brightens the sky and reduces contrast. Not a dealbreaker during strong activity, but it does reduce visibility of faint displays.

Related pages

What Is the Kp Index?

How the geomagnetic activity scale works and what values mean for your location.

Tips for Viewing the Northern Lights

Dark skies, clear nights, and the right technique for seeing aurora from the UK.

What Causes the Northern Lights?

The solar physics behind aurora borealis, from the Sun to your sky.

Northern Lights UK - Live Forecast

Current Kp status and aurora visibility across UK regions tonight.

Aurora Forecast Tonight

Live space weather data and tonight's northern lights outlook.

Common questions

More on UK aurora timing and seasonal patterns.

What time of year is best for seeing the northern lights in the UK?
The months around the autumn and spring equinoxes - September, October, February, and March - tend to produce more geomagnetic activity due to how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field at those times of year. Combined with longer nights and decent dark hours, October and March are often cited as the peak months. November through January also have the longest nights, which increases viewing windows.
What time of night is best for aurora in the UK?
Between 10 pm and 2 am is the most reliable window. This is when magnetic midnight - the point at which your longitude aligns closest to the midnight sector of the magnetosphere - falls for UK longitudes. Aurora can occur at any hour of the night, but the aurora oval is most active and brightest in this window. The lights can also appear shortly after dusk or before dawn during strong storms.
Does the lunar phase affect aurora visibility?
It affects how easily you can see faint aurora. A full moon brightens the sky enough to wash out dim displays that would otherwise be visible. A new moon - or a moon that has set before your viewing window - is ideal. That said, a Kp 7 storm is bright enough to see even with a nearly full moon from a dark site.
Is 2024 and 2025 a good period for UK aurora?
Yes. Solar cycle 25 reached its maximum around 2024-2025, producing the highest level of solar activity in roughly two decades. The widespread UK and European aurora in May 2024 resulted from a period of exceptional CME activity near that peak. Activity remains elevated through 2025 and the early part of the declining phase of the cycle.
Can you see the northern lights in the UK in summer?
Rarely. The main problem is astronomical twilight - at UK latitudes, summer nights never get fully dark. In Scotland above 57°N, there is no true astronomical darkness between mid-May and late July. Even if aurora is active, the bright sky swamps the display. The occasional very strong storm (Kp 8-9) can break through, but summer is not a reliable time to try.
Does solar activity vary over the year?
Solar activity itself does not follow a seasonal pattern - the Sun erupts CMEs year-round. What varies seasonally is how Earth's magnetic field orientation interacts with the solar wind. During the equinoxes (March and September), the geometry is more favourable for geomagnetic storms to develop from the same solar wind conditions that would produce only minor activity at other times of year.