Aurora australis in Chile tonight
Aurora australis over the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas, Chile - 53°S magnetic latitude, Kp 4 threshold, gateway to Torres del Paine.
How the sky looks right now
Live Kp index from NASA & NOAA, mapped to what it means across Chile.
Low activity expected. Solar conditions are currently quiet. Chances of aurora visibility are low tonight.
How far the glow reaches
At Kp 1, the auroral oval reaches ~76°S - covering every Chile town within range.
7-day outlook for Chile
Predicted peak Kp each night, from NOAA's 3-day forecast and the 27-day solar-recurrence model.
Forecasts beyond 3 days are lower confidence - check back nightly as the outlook firms up.
Aurora visibility by town
Each spot lights up at a different Kp threshold thanks to its latitude. It comes down to the clouds.
Three ways to do it
Punta Arenas
Capital of Chilean Patagonia on the Strait of Magellan - the only Chilean city with a realistic aurora australis chance
Threshold · Kp 4Why Chilean Patagonia is a long shot worth watching
Punta Arenas at roughly 53°S magnetic latitude is Chile's only city with a genuine aurora australis chance, and even there it needs a moderate storm (Kp 4 or above) rather than the routine minor activity that reaches Ushuaia across the Strait of Magellan. In May 2024, a G5-class storm produced a rare, widely reported display over southern Chile - the kind of event locals had not seen described in living memory.
The city sits on the Strait of Magellan, a working port and the main gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and Antarctic cruise departures. Torres del Paine itself, a three-to-four-hour drive north via Puerto Natales, holds some of the darkest, clearest skies in South America and is worth the detour even outside an aurora event.
Peak season is the austral winter (May to August), when nights are long and cold. This is the opposite of Patagonia's tourist high season (November to March), when brief, bright summer nights rule out aurora entirely regardless of storm strength.
Compare Chile locations tonight
Pre-filled with Chile's top spots - search 400+ locations worldwide to compare any of them side by side.
Up to 8 locations
How often does the aurora appear in Chile?
Average nights per month the Kp reached Punta Arenas's threshold, from 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010–2024).
Southern hemisphere data. Aurora australis peaks in the austral winter (May–August) when nights are longest at 53°S. November–February have minimal darkness - aurora is not visible in summer.
Plan your trip to Chile
Best window
May to August for maximum darkness at 53°S. Move away from the Punta Arenas waterfront toward the open steppe for a darker, south-facing horizon. Kp 4+ events are needed and occur less often than at Ushuaia, so patience and a flexible itinerary help.
How long to stay
Combine with Torres del Paine National Park (3-4 hours north via Puerto Natales) so the trip is worthwhile even without aurora. Plan at least a week if aurora is the primary goal, given the higher Kp threshold than Ushuaia.
Related pages
Aurora Australis
Southern lights hub with live Kp forecast.
Read →Aurora Australis Ushuaia Tonight
Ushuaia, Argentina - the lower-threshold Patagonia alternative just across the Strait.
Read →Aurora Australis Argentina
Argentina - Ushuaia and El Calafate.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
How Kp 4 determines aurora australis visibility at 53°S.
Read →Aurora Locations Worldwide
Global aurora forecast hub.
Read →Guides for visiting Chile
In-depth planning resources for your northern lights trip.
