Northern lights Nida tonight

Parnidis Dune (52 m) is one of the highest dunes on the Curonian Spit, 2 km south of Nida village and topped by a sundial monument from 1995. The summit gives 360-degree views across the dune landscape, with the Curonian Lagoon visible to the east and the Baltic Sea to the west. No artificial light exists within 5 km in any direction, giving Bortle Class 2-3 throughout. The dune summit is accessible by a boardwalk path from the Nida car park in approximately 15 minutes; the Lithuanian-Russian border with Kaliningrad is 2 km further south and the area beyond is inaccessible.

The Curonian Lagoon is 40 km wide at this point and faces east-northeast, giving a flat water horizon with open sky toward Finland and Estonia. The lagoon water is calm due to the spit's protection from Baltic waves, and on calm nights the surface gives a reflection band that extends any aurora display visible in the northeastern sky. The lagoon beach in Nida is separated from the village by a narrow shore road, and conditions from the water's edge reach Bortle Class 2-3. The lagoon side is less wind-exposed than the Baltic side and gives better reflection conditions.

The Baltic Sea beach faces the open sea to the northwest with no land between Nida and Sweden's Gotland island 350 km away. The dune ridge drops steeply to the beach on the west side, and the beach faces north to northwest - the primary aurora viewing direction from this latitude. A boardwalk path through the dune forest reaches the beach in 10 minutes from Nida, and the beach is wide and flat with the 50 m dune ridge behind preventing any light from the lagoon side. Conditions reach Bortle Class 2-3 throughout; the Baltic side is exposed to westerly wind, so dress accordingly.