Northern lights Šiauliai tonight
Šiauliai is northern Lithuania's largest city at 56°N magnetic latitude - better positioned for aurora than Vilnius and home to the Hill of Crosses, one of Europe's most atmospheric aurora foregrounds. Kp 4–5 is the threshold from dark sites around the city. The Hill of Crosses - covered with over 100,000 crosses accumulated over 150 years - is 12 minutes north on flat dark farmland. Best season: September to March.
Aurora visibility - Šiauliai
Unlikely tonight
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 4–5 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Šiauliai.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Šiauliai
Today
21 May
Tomorrow
22 May
Sat
23 May
Sun
24 May
Mon
25 May
Tue
26 May
Wed
27 May
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
What Kp is needed here?
Šiauliai sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 56°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 4–5 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 4–5, visibility is possible from Šiauliai 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 Šiauliai
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Hill of Crosses - Kryžių kalnas
Get directions ↗The Hill of Crosses (Kryžių kalnas) is a sacred pilgrimage site 12 km north of Šiauliai, with over 100,000 crosses of all sizes accumulated since the 19th century covering a small natural hill. The surrounding farmland is flat and dark with no settlement between the site and the horizon in any direction, and no lighting is installed at the site itself - a torch is needed to navigate safely. The sky faces north across the flat Lithuanian agricultural plain, and conditions throughout reach Bortle Class 3. A car park with toilets sits 200 m from the hill, and the site is accessible year-round at any hour.
Šiauliai reservoir north shore
Get directions ↗The Šiauliai reservoir (Talšos tvenkinys) is a large artificial lake northwest of the city, and the north shore gives a water-facing north view across the reservoir surface toward open farmland. Šiauliai's light dome sits to the southeast and does not significantly affect the north-facing horizon from this position. A path runs along the shore giving several watching positions, and the reservoir is open at all hours with no barrier. Conditions from the water's edge reach Bortle Class 3-4.
Žagarė Regional Park
Get directions ↗Žagarė Regional Park in northern Lithuania protects the Švėtė river valley and surrounding farmland near the Latvian border, including one of Lithuania's oldest towns and open agricultural land with burial mounds and archaeological sites. The surrounding territory is sparsely populated and the park gives Bortle Class 3 throughout, with valley positions giving northward views across flat farmland toward Latvia. The park is less visited than the more famous Aukštaitija, giving reliable quiet dark sky. It is accessible by road from Šiauliai on Route 155 north.
Best time to see the northern lights in Šiauliai
Šiauliai's aurora season runs from late September through to March, when nights are long enough for truly dark skies. The equinox months, September and March, bring a natural boost in geomagnetic activity, making them statistically the best of the season. Summer months bring too much twilight for aurora to be visible at this latitude.
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 Šiauliai's latitude.
April through August brings persistent astronomical twilight that washes out aurora completely. Even strong events (Kp 6+) remain invisible during this period because the sky never gets dark enough.
Other Lithuania aurora forecasts
← Lithuania overviewRelated pages
Northern Lights Lithuania
Lithuania-wide aurora forecast hub.
Northern Lights Vilnius Tonight
Vilnius - 150 km southeast, Aukštaitija National Park access.
Northern Lights Nida Tonight
Nida - Curonian Spit, Baltic Sea dark sky, 130 km west.
Northern Lights Klaipėda Tonight
Klaipėda - Baltic coast city, gateway to the Curonian Spit.
What Is the Kp Index?
How Kp 4-5 determines aurora at 56°N magnetic latitude.
Common questions
Northern lights from Šiauliai - Hill of Crosses, Žagarė Regional Park, and when to go.