Aurora Tonight
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Northern lights Tallinn tonight

Tallinn sits at ~60°N magnetic latitude - the same threshold as Bergen in Norway. Kp 3-4 is needed from the north coast. Lahemaa National Park is 70 km east with Bortle 2-3 sky facing the Gulf of Finland. The Paldiski Peninsula is 50 km west for a quicker response. Aurora is a regular occurrence during active solar periods. Best season: September to April.

Aurora visibility — Tallinn

Unlikely tonight

Kp 1 is well below the Kp 3–4 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Tallinn.

Current Kp

1

of 9

Threshold for Tallinn: Kp 3–4 Magnetic latitude: ~60°N Updated: 11 May, 19:57 UTC

What Kp is needed here?

Tallinn sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 60°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 3–4 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.

At Kp 3–4, visibility is possible from Tallinn 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 Tallinn

Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.

Lahemaa National Park (north Estonia coast)

Estonia's largest national park, 70 km east of Tallinn along the north coast road. The park coastline faces north over the Gulf of Finland. The beaches at Käsmu and Altja give open north-facing positions with Bortle 2-3 sky - minimal artificial light for many kilometres in any direction. The Käsmu peninsula is the best single position: a narrow headland with north-facing shore on both sides. Drive the Tallinn-Narva highway east and turn north to Palmse, then follow coast road signs. At Kp 3-4, aurora is visible from the Lahemaa coast as a clear arc on the northern horizon.

Paldiski Peninsula

A remote headland 50 km west of Tallinn, formerly a Soviet naval base and now largely uninhabited. The north-facing cliffs drop directly to the Gulf of Finland. Limited development means genuinely dark sky - Bortle 2-3. Drive the Paldiski road west from Tallinn in 45 minutes. The elevated cliff positions give a clear northern horizon across open sea. The northernmost point of the peninsula at Pakri lighthouse faces north with no obstruction. Practical for a quick response from Tallinn when a Kp 3-4 event develops on a clear evening.

Nõva coastline (west Estonia)

The north-west coast of Estonia near Nõva and Osmussaar island, 100 km south-west of Tallinn. The coast faces north and north-west over the open Baltic. Bortle 2 at the outer coast - among the darkest accessible positions on the Estonian mainland. The Matsalu National Park wetlands inland add to the darkness. A longer drive commitment but gives the best dark sky if travelling from Tallinn specifically for aurora on a strong G1-G2 forecast.

Other Baltic aurora forecasts

Estonia overview Riga Helsinki

Related pages

Northern Lights Estonia

Estonia aurora hub - Tallinn and the north coast.

Northern Lights Latvia

Latvia - Riga and Cape Kolka, Kp 4-5.

Northern Lights Finland

Finland - Helsinki to Lapland, Kp 1-4.

What Is the Kp Index?

How Kp 3-4 translates to aurora visibility at 60°N.

Northern Lights Viewing Tips

Dark sites, timing, and what to look for.

Common questions

Northern lights from Tallinn - Lahemaa, Paldiski, and aurora frequency in Estonia.

Can you see the northern lights from Tallinn?
Yes, regularly during active solar periods. Tallinn at ~60°N magnetic latitude needs Kp 3-4 from the north coast. This is the same threshold as Bergen in Norway and means aurora is accessible during minor to moderate geomagnetic storms. Lahemaa National Park and the Paldiski Peninsula are the primary dark sky sites. At Kp 5+, aurora has been seen from Tallinn's Old Town waterfront facing north.
What Kp is needed for aurora in Tallinn?
Kp 3 from Lahemaa and Paldiski. Kp 4-5 for aurora visible from Tallinn's northern coast. Kp 5 for visibility from the city centre. At 60°N magnetic latitude, Tallinn is significantly better positioned than cities at 54-56°N like Berlin and Hamburg. G1 storms (Kp 5) produce clear aurora from Estonian dark sites; minor disturbances at Kp 3 can produce aurora on the northern horizon from Lahemaa.
How does Tallinn compare to Helsinki for aurora?
They are closely matched. Helsinki sits at approximately 60°N magnetic latitude - the same as Tallinn. Both cities need Kp 3-4 from dark coastal sites. Helsinki's main advantage is ferry access to the Åland islands (darker than the Helsinki coast). Tallinn's advantage is Lahemaa National Park - a larger protected area with more isolated coastline than the Helsinki equivalents. For aurora watching, the choice between the two cities is mainly about which country you prefer to visit.
When is aurora season in Tallinn?
September to April gives the best combination of dark nights and geomagnetic activity. Tallinn at 59.4°N geographic has around 18 hours of darkness in December. The September and March equinoxes are the most geomagnetically active months of the year. June and July are not viable - at nearly 60°N, midsummer nights are too bright. The first dark nights of August begin to show aurora potential on active evenings.
Is Estonia good for aurora watching?
Better than most of Western Europe. At Kp 3-4, Estonia catches aurora that requires Kp 6-7 from the Netherlands or Germany. The north coast is genuinely dark by European standards - Lahemaa and Paldiski sit at Bortle 2-3, comparable to rural Scotland. The main disadvantage compared to northern Norway is that Tallinn is still at the southern edge of where regular aurora occurs: it catches G1 events but misses the quieter nights that produce aurora at Tromsø or Alta.