Northern lights Clare tonight
Clare sits at 53°N magnetic latitude facing open Atlantic along the Wild Atlantic Way. Kp 5 is the threshold from dark positions. Loop Head Peninsula and the Cliffs of Moher face northwest over the Atlantic. The Burren limestone plateau gives additional dark sky inland. Best season: September to March.
Aurora visibility - Clare
Unlikely tonight
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 5 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Clare.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Clare
Today
19 May
Tomorrow
20 May
Thu
21 May
Fri
22 May
Sat
23 May
Sun
24 May
Mon
25 May
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
What Kp is needed here?
Clare sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 53°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 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 5, visibility is possible from Clare 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 Clare
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Loop Head Peninsula
Get directions ↗The westernmost tip of County Clare, where the River Shannon meets the Atlantic. The lighthouse at the very tip faces north-northwest over open ocean. No settlement is visible from the tip of the peninsula. The road out to Loop Head passes through completely dark farmland for the final 20 km. One of Ireland's most westerly points and among its darkest coastlines. The north-northwest aspect gives good aurora coverage when the oval is active at Kp 5.
Cliffs of Moher northern end
Get directions ↗The 214 m sea cliffs face northwest over the Atlantic. The O'Brien's Tower visitor centre area has lighting but 1 km north along the cliffs the situation improves - the cliff path to Doolin gives progressively darker positions. The cliff edge drops directly to the sea below. Extreme care is essential at night - this is not a location for aurora photography without a torch, stable footing, and awareness of the edge. The northwest-facing cliff aspect picks up aurora when it extends above 30° altitude during Kp 5+ events.
Burren Dark Sky area
Get directions ↗The limestone pavement of the Burren plateau gives a flat open terrain with minimal obstruction in any direction. The Carron area in the inner Burren is particularly dark - no settlement centres, dry stone walls, and ancient stone monuments provide landscape detail at ground level. The flat plateau means aurora can be photographed low to the horizon without hills blocking the view. Significantly darker than the nearby Galway suburbs.
Best time to see the northern lights in Clare
At 53°N magnetic latitude, Clare 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 Clare'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.
Related pages
Northern Lights Ireland
Ireland aurora hub.
Northern Lights Galway Tonight
Galway - Connemara dark sky.
Northern Lights Mayo Tonight
Mayo - Achill Island and Mullet Peninsula.
Northern Lights Kerry Tonight
Kerry - Iveragh Peninsula, Valentia Island.
What Is the Kp Index?
How Kp 5 determines aurora visibility at 53°N.
Common questions
Northern lights from County Clare - Loop Head, Cliffs of Moher, and when to go.
