Kp index Kp 2 locations
Quiet - oval locations only

Kp 2 aurora locations

At Kp 2, aurora becomes visible across most of northern Scandinavia, Iceland, and the high-latitude Canadian territories. The auroral oval expands slightly south of its Kp 1 position, bringing aurora within reach of popular destinations like Tromsø, Akureyri, and Whitehorse on most clear nights during the season.

Locations reachable
87
sites at Kp 2+
Storm class
Quiet
geomagnetic activity
Threshold latitude
61.6°
where Kp 2 becomes the threshold
Current Kp
1
threshold not met

Kp 2 is a step up from Kp 1 and below Kp 3.

What Kp 2 means tonight

At Kp 2, aurora becomes visible across most of northern Scandinavia, Iceland, and the high-latitude Canadian territories. The auroral oval expands slightly south of its Kp 1 position, bringing aurora within reach of popular destinations like Tromsø, Akureyri, and Whitehorse on most clear nights during the season.

Right now

Current conditions

Kp now 1 G0 · Quiet

Low activity expected. Solar conditions are currently quiet. Chances of aurora visibility are low tonight.

The Kp index measures global geomagnetic disturbance on a scale of 0–9. At Kp 2+, the 87 locations on this page are potentially visible. Check your location's cloud cover for tonight's conditions.

QuietG1 stormG3Extreme

Kp index explained →

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

Northern hemisphere

87 locations in range at Kp 2+.

Alaska

67°N

Alaska hub – Fairbanks and Anchorage overview

From Kp 1

Alta

66°N

Northern Norway, polar night

From Kp 1

Andenes

66°N

Andøya north tip, lighthouse, Bleik beach, Space Centre

From Kp 1

Dalvík

66°N

North Iceland, Eyjafjörður fjord, Grímsey Arctic Circle ferry

From Kp 1

Dawson City

67°N

Yukon gold rush town inside the aurora oval

From Kp 1

Denali National Park

66°N

Six-million-acre wilderness, Alaska Range, minimal light pollution

From Kp 1

Fairbanks

67°N

Alaska, auroral oval, Cleary Summit

From Kp 1

Hammerfest

67°N

Northernmost town, 70°N, polar night, Barents Sea

From Kp 1

Honningsvåg

67°N

North Cape gateway town, NATO mountain viewpoint

From Kp 1

Húsavík

66°N

North Iceland, Skjálfandi Bay

From Kp 1

Ilulissat

72°N

UNESCO Icefjord, icebergs and aurora

From Kp 1

Iqaluit

68°N

Nunavut capital, fly-in only, deep polar night

From Kp 1

Ísafjörður

67°N

Westfjords capital, deep fjord, Dynjandi waterfall

From Kp 1

Kangerlussuaq

70°N

Clearest skies in Greenland, tundra dark sky

From Kp 1

Kvaløya

66°N

Tromsø island, Kattfjordeidet headland

From Kp 1

Lyngen Alps

66°N

Alpine fjord scenery, 70°N

From Kp 1

Lyngseidet

66°N

Lyngenfjord ferry terminal, Lyngen Alps backdrop

From Kp 1

Mehamn

67°N

Barents Sea coast, Slettnes Lighthouse, polar night

From Kp 1

Nordkapp

67°N

Europe's northernmost accessible point, Magerøya plateau

From Kp 1

Nuuk

67°N

Greenland capital, Nuup Kangerlua fjord

From Kp 1

Senja

66°N

Island of contrasts, dramatic coastline

From Kp 1

Siglufjörður

66°N

Northernmost mainland fjord town, former herring capital

From Kp 1

Sommarøy

66°N

Island west of Tromsø, Polar Ocean horizon, Rebbenesøya

From Kp 1

Svalbard

75°N

Inside the auroral oval year-round

From Kp 1

Tromsø

66°N

World's aurora capital

From Kp 1

Tromsvik

66°N

Mainland north of Tromsø, Arctic Ocean views, Ullsfjorden

From Kp 1

Vardø

66°N

Norway's easternmost town, Barents Sea, Bortle Class 1

From Kp 1

Vesterålen

66°N

Island group north of Lofoten, Andøya, Bleik beach

From Kp 1

Westfjords

67°N

Iceland's most remote, darkest region

From Kp 1

Wood Buffalo National Park

65°N

World's largest Dark Sky Preserve, NWT-Alberta border

From Kp 1

Yellowknife

67°N

Aurora capital of North America

From Kp 1

Å i Lofoten

65°N

Lofoten's southwestern tip, preserved fishing village

From Kp 2

Abisko

65°N

Sweden's aurora capital, cloudless micro-climate

From Kp 2

Akranes

65°N

45 min from Reykjavik, peninsula lighthouse, Faxaflói bay

From Kp 2

Akureyri

66°N

North Iceland, Lake Mývatn

From Kp 1-2

Anchorage

63°N

Alaska, Kp 2 from the Chugach Range

From Kp 2

Bodø

64°N

Above Arctic Circle, Lofoten gateway

From Kp 2

Borgarnes

65°N

75 minutes from Reykjavik, fjord views, Snæfellsnes gateway

From Kp 2

Churchill

64°N

Sub-Arctic Manitoba, auroral oval

From Kp 2

Egilsstaðir

65°N

East Iceland, Lagarfljót lake, clear skies

From Kp 2

Finnish Lapland

64°N

Aurora belt above 68°N, Saariselkä, Levi, Ivalo hub

From Kp 2

Finnsnes

66°N

Senja gateway, Gisund strait, 80 km south of Tromsø

From Kp 1-2

Gällivare

64°N

Dundret fell, less-visited Lapland

From Kp 2

Golden Circle

65°N

Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss

From Kp 2

Harstad

66°N

Hinnøya island, Vesterålen gateway, Trondenes peninsula

From Kp 2

Henningsvær

65°N

Island-village harbour, Festvågen headland, Lofoten

From Kp 2

Höfn

64°N

Southeast Iceland, glacier gateway, Vestrahorn mountain

From Kp 2

Inari

65°N

Finland's Sámi cultural capital, Lake Inari

From Kp 2

Ivalo

65°N

Finland's northernmost town at 69°N

From Kp 2

Jokkmokk

63°N

Sámi cultural town, winter market since 1605

From Kp 2

Jökulsárlón

64°N

Glacial lagoon, south coast

From Kp 2

Jukkasjärvi

64°N

ICEHOTEL on the Torne River

From Kp 2

Kautokeino

65°N

Finnmarksvidda plateau, Bortle Class 1, Sámi heartland

From Kp 2

Kilpisjärvi

65°N

Finland's far northwestern arm, three-country border, exceptional clear-sky microclimate

From Kp 2

Kirkenes

65°N

Russian border, east Finnmark, clear sky advantage

From Kp 2

Kirkjufell

66°N

Iceland's most photographed mountain, Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall

From Kp 2

Kiruna

64°N

ICEHOTEL and Swedish Lapland aurora

From Kp 2

Kittilä

64°N

Direct flights, gateway to Levi

From Kp 2

Landmannalaugar

64°N

Rhyolite highland, Bortle Class 1

From Kp 2

Leknes

65°N

Central Lofoten base, Unstad beach, Eggum coast

From Kp 2

Levi

64°N

Lapland ski resort, glass igloos

From Kp 2

Lofoten Islands

65°N

Dramatic coastline and dark skies

From Kp 2

Luleå

62°N

Swedish Lapland's coastal gateway, archipelago dark sky

From Kp 2

Luosto

63°N

Purpose-built aurora resort

From Kp 2

Muonio

64°N

Gateway to Levi and Pallas-Yllästunturi, aurora-camp lodges

From Kp 2

Mývatn

66°N

Volcanic lake, pseudocraters, Dimmuborgir lava fields

From Kp 2

Narvik

65°N

Arctic port city, Ofoten fjord, Narvikfjellet gondola

From Kp 2

Pyhä

63°N

Pyhä-Luosto National Park, glass-igloo resorts

From Kp 2

Reine

65°N

Moskenesøya peaks, Reinebringen summit, Kirkefjord rorbuer

From Kp 2

Reykjavik

65°N

Capital, Grótta lighthouse area

From Kp 2

Rovaniemi

62°N

Gateway to Finnish Lapland

From Kp 2

Saariselkä

64°N

Finland's best dark-sky area

From Kp 2

Selfoss

64°N

South Iceland, Golden Circle gateway

From Kp 2

Shetland Islands

59°N

Scotland's northernmost islands

From Kp 2

Skaftafell

64°N

Vatnajökull National Park, Svartifoss, near Jökulsárlón

From Kp 2

Snæfellsbær

66°N

Grundarfjörður and Ólafsvík, Snæfellsnes coast

From Kp 2

Snæfellsnes

66°N

Glacier peninsula, Kirkjufell mountain

From Kp 2

Stykkishólmur

66°N

Snæfellsnes north coast, Breiðafjörður bay reflections

From Kp 2

Svolvær

65°N

Lofoten hub, Svolværgeita peaks, Kabelvåg harbour

From Kp 2

Tärnaby/Hemavan

63°N

Western Swedish Lapland ski resorts, Vindelfjällen wilderness

From Kp 2

Vestmannaeyjar

64°N

Westman Islands, ferry from Landeyjahöfn, Eldfell volcano

From Kp 2

Vík

64°N

Reynisfjara black sand beach

From Kp 2

Vopnafjörður

66°N

Northeast Iceland, Bortle Class 1 fjord

From Kp 2

Whitehorse

64°N

Yukon, dark skies and wilderness lodges

From Kp 2

Ylläs

64°N

Finland's highest fell at 718 m

From Kp 2

Þingvellir

65°N

UNESCO rift valley, Golden Circle, 45 min from Reykjavik

From Kp 2

Þórsmörk

64°N

Highland valley, seasonal access only

From Kp 2
Common questions

Kp 2 aurora - FAQ

Everything you need to know about aurora visibility at Kp 2.

What is the difference between Kp 1 and Kp 2 for aurora?
The difference is modest but meaningful. At Kp 2 the auroral oval expands south by a few degrees of latitude, bringing aurora within range of Reykjavik, Akureyri, the Lofoten Islands, Rovaniemi, and Whitehorse in the Yukon. Kp 1 locations are active at Kp 2 too - this is a cumulative list.
What are the best Kp 2 destinations?
Reykjavik and Akureyri in Iceland are among the most popular Kp 2 destinations, with good transport links and a well-developed aurora tourism industry. The Lofoten Islands in Norway add a dramatic coastal landscape to a Kp 2 threshold. Whitehorse in the Yukon and Rovaniemi in Lapland are also accessible at Kp 2.
How often does Kp reach 2?
Kp 2 is common - it occurs during most nights of elevated but not stormy solar activity. During the current solar maximum, Kp 2 events are routine. For anyone at a Kp 2 location, the limiting factor is almost always cloud cover, not geomagnetic activity.
Can you see aurora in Iceland at Kp 2?
Yes. Reykjavik sits at around 65°N magnetic latitude - just within range at Kp 2, especially from the Grótta lighthouse peninsula away from city lights. Akureyri and the north coast of Iceland are more reliably active at Kp 2. The Westfjords and Húsavík also sit at this threshold.
What should you expect from Kp 2 aurora?
At Kp 2 you can expect a low arc on the northern horizon from most high-latitude locations, brightening occasionally into active bands. It is not a dramatic storm-level display, but from a Kp 2 location it can be a clear, sustained arc that responds to photography well. At locations near the threshold boundary, the aurora may flicker and fade.
Sean Barraclough

Sean Barraclough

Creator of Aurora Tonight

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