Northern lights Bornholm tonight
Bornholm is Denmark's most easterly and most aurora-favourable island - at 55°N magnetic latitude, surrounded by the Baltic Sea with dark coastline on all sides. Kp 5 is the threshold from the north coast. The Hammerknuden granite headland at the island's northern tip faces across the Bornholmsgattet with no land between Bornholm and Sweden's southernmost point 40 km away. Best season: September to March.
Aurora visibility - Bornholm
Unlikely tonight
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 5–6 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Bornholm.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Bornholm
Today
21 May
Tomorrow
22 May
Sat
23 May
Sun
24 May
Mon
25 May
Tue
26 May
Wed
27 May
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
What Kp is needed here?
Bornholm sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 55°N. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 5–6 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 5–6, visibility is possible from Bornholm but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.
Best dark sky sites near Bornholm
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Hammerknuden rocky headland
Get directions ↗The northernmost point of Bornholm at the Hammeren peninsula, a granite rocky headland facing north across the Baltic toward Sweden's southernmost point. No settlements lie to the north, and the Hammerhavn harbour 500 m to the south has minimal lighting. Accessible by car to a car park near Hammerfyr lighthouse, then a 10-minute walk on a marked path - the site faces north-northwest with a completely open sea horizon. Once away from the car park lights the headland is genuinely dark, with the granite outcrops providing a distinctive foreground against the northern sky.
Slettebakken viewpoint
Get directions ↗An elevated coastal heath position on the northwest coast of Bornholm above Allinge, giving open northerly views across Bornholmsgattet toward southern Sweden. The surrounding heath carries no artificial lighting, and Allinge's modest light dome sits to the southeast where it does not affect the northern horizon. A signed viewpoint with a small car park on route 158 makes this accessible year-round on tarmac road. The position reaches Bortle Class 3 from the heath and is the most convenient dark north-facing site close to the island's main tourist settlements.
Almindingen forest clearings
Get directions ↗Denmark's third largest forest, occupying the centre of Bornholm at up to 162 m altitude - the highest point on the island. Forest roads give access to dark clearings away from the perimeter, and the Rytterknægten tower at 162 m provides elevated sky access above the tree canopy. The forest interior reaches Bortle Class 3-4 depending on position within it, with the surrounding heath and farmland outside the forest adding to the overall darkness. Accessible via forest roads from route 34.
Best time to see the northern lights in Bornholm
At 55°N magnetic latitude, Bornholm sits at the lower end of regular aurora territory. Only the deep mid-winter months of November through January offer nights dark enough for aurora to be visible, and only then when a significant geomagnetic storm pushes the auroral oval this far south.
Activity peaks around the September and March equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. Events during these two windows tend to produce the strongest displays of the year for observers at Bornholm's latitude.
Outside November through January, twilight is too bright for aurora viewing even during significant storms. The season is short, but the equinox months on either side of winter can extend it slightly when storm timing aligns.
Other Denmark aurora forecasts
← Denmark overviewRelated pages
Northern Lights Denmark
Denmark-wide aurora forecast hub.
Northern Lights Copenhagen Tonight
Copenhagen - north Zealand coast, Kp 5-6.
Northern Lights Skagen Tonight
Skagen - Denmark's northernmost point at 58°N, lower Kp threshold.
Northern Lights Rügen Tonight
Rügen - German Baltic island at 55°N, comparable threshold to Bornholm.
What Is the Kp Index?
How the Kp scale determines aurora visibility at 55°N.
Common questions
Northern lights from Bornholm - Hammerknuden, Slettebakken, and when to go.