Kp index guide › Kp 1 locations

Kp scale

Kp 1 aurora locations

At Kp 1, aurora is only visible from locations inside or close to the auroral oval - roughly above 67°N magnetic latitude. This includes the far north of Norway, Svalbard, northern Canada, and northern Alaska. Even at Kp 1 the aurora can be bright and active; these locations sit directly beneath the oval where aurora occurs on most clear nights during the season.

Kp 1 is the lowest level at which aurora is visible. For stronger activity see Kp 2 locations.

Kp 1+ aurora locations in Scandinavia

Northern Norway, Swedish Lapland, Finnish Lapland, and Svalbard all sit inside or adjacent to the auroral oval at Kp 1. Tromsø, Abisko, Saariselkä, and Svalbard are the benchmark destinations.

Kp 1+ aurora locations in North America

Yellowknife, Churchill, Dawson City in Canada and Fairbanks in Alaska sit inside the auroral oval at Kp 1. These are among the most consistent aurora destinations in the world.

Locations are sorted by tonight's cloud cover - clearest conditions first. Updated every 30 minutes.

Current Kp level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Quiet G1 storm G3 Extreme

Current Kp 1 meets the Kp 1+ threshold. The locations on this page are potentially active tonight.

Abisko

Kp 1-2

Sweden's aurora capital, cloudless micro-climate

68° magnetic lat

Alta

Kp 1-2

Northern Norway, polar night

70° magnetic lat

Bodø

Kp 1-2

Above Arctic Circle, Lofoten gateway

67° magnetic lat

Churchill

Kp 1-2

Sub-Arctic Manitoba, auroral oval

69° magnetic lat

Dawson City

Kp 1-2

Yukon gold rush town inside the aurora oval

65° magnetic lat

Fairbanks

Kp 1-2

Alaska, auroral oval, Cleary Summit

68° magnetic lat

Gällivare

Kp 1-2

Dundret fell, less-visited Lapland

68° magnetic lat

Ilulissat

Kp 1

UNESCO Icefjord, icebergs and aurora

72° magnetic lat

Ivalo

Kp 1

Finland's northernmost town at 69°N

69° magnetic lat

Jukkasjärvi

Kp 1-2

ICEHOTEL on the Torne River

68° magnetic lat

Kangerlussuaq

Kp 1

Clearest skies in Greenland, tundra dark sky

73° magnetic lat

Kiruna

Kp 1-2

ICEHOTEL and Swedish Lapland aurora

68° magnetic lat

Kittilä

Kp 1-2

Direct flights, gateway to Levi

68° magnetic lat

Kvaløya

Kp 1

Tromsø island, Kattfjordeidet headland

70° magnetic lat

Levi

Kp 1-2

Lapland ski resort, glass igloos

68° magnetic lat

Luosto

Kp 1-2

Purpose-built aurora resort

67° magnetic lat

Lyngen Alps

Kp 1

Alpine fjord scenery, 70°N

70° magnetic lat

Nuuk

Kp 1

Greenland capital, Nuup Kangerlua fjord

71° magnetic lat

Saariselkä

Kp 1-2

Finland's best dark-sky area

68° magnetic lat

Senja

Kp 1-2

Island of contrasts, dramatic coastline

69° magnetic lat

Svalbard

Kp 1

Inside the auroral oval year-round

78° magnetic lat

Tromsø

Kp 1-2

World's aurora capital

70° magnetic lat

Yellowknife

Kp 1-2

Aurora capital of North America

69° magnetic lat

Ylläs

Kp 1-2

Finland's highest fell at 718 m

68° magnetic lat

Common questions

What does Kp 1 mean for aurora?

Kp 1 means quiet geomagnetic conditions with minimal disturbance. The auroral oval is in its compressed, high-latitude position. At this level aurora is reliably visible only from locations sitting inside or at the edge of the oval - above 67°N magnetic latitude. That includes Tromsø, Svalbard, Yellowknife, and Finnish Lapland.

Where can you see aurora at Kp 1?

Svalbard (78°N magnetic), northern Norway including Tromsø and Alta (70°N), Yellowknife in Canada (69°N magnetic), and Ivalo and Saariselkä in Finnish Lapland (68-69°N) are the main Kp 1 destinations. Abisko in Sweden and Fairbanks in Alaska also sit at this latitude.

How often does Kp reach 1?

The Kp index is rarely exactly 1 - it is almost always at least 1 during daylight hours and often higher. A Kp of 1 simply means conditions are at the low end of normal. For aurora-watching purposes, Kp 1-2 is effectively the same: quiet conditions where only the highest-latitude locations see activity.

Is Kp 1 enough to see aurora?

Yes, if you are in the right location. Tromsø, Svalbard, Yellowknife, and Finnish Lapland all sit inside or near the auroral oval. At those latitudes, Kp 1 on a clear, moonless night will often produce visible aurora - sometimes active displays. From anywhere south of 60°N, Kp 1 produces nothing visible.

What are the best locations for Kp 1 aurora viewing?

Svalbard at 78°N is the most reliable - it is inside the oval year-round. Tromsø and Alta in Norway, Yellowknife in Canada, Ivalo and Saariselkä in Finland, Abisko in Sweden, and Fairbanks in Alaska all regularly see aurora at Kp 1-2 during the dark season.

Other Kp levels

Kp 2 locations Kp 3 locations Kp 4 locations Kp 5 locations Kp 6 locations Kp 7 locations Kp 8 locations Kp 9 locations

Kp 1 aurora locations

Kp 1+ aurora locations in Scandinavia

Kp 1+ aurora locations in North America

Current Kp level

Abisko

Alta

Bodø

Churchill

Dawson City

Fairbanks

Gällivare

Ilulissat

Ivalo

Jukkasjärvi

Kangerlussuaq

Kiruna

Kittilä

Kvaløya

Levi

Luosto

Lyngen Alps

Nuuk

Saariselkä

Senja

Svalbard

Tromsø

Yellowknife

Ylläs

Common questions

Other Kp levels

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