Northern lights Vilnius tonight
Vilnius is Lithuania's baroque capital at 54°N magnetic latitude. The city itself is too light-polluted for faint aurora but the surrounding Lithuanian countryside reaches Bortle Class 3 within 70 minutes. Kp 5 is the threshold from dark sites including the Molėtai Observatory area and Aukštaitija National Park. During strong storms (Kp 7+), aurora has been photographed from the city's hilltop viewpoints. Best season: September to March.
Aurora visibility - Vilnius
Unlikely tonight
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 5 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Vilnius.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Vilnius
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?
Vilnius sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 54°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 Vilnius 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 Vilnius
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Verkiai Regional Park
Get directions ↗Verkiai Regional Park follows the Neris river valley immediately north of Vilnius, with the park boundary 8 km from the city centre giving a marked reduction in sky brightness compared to the urban area. The valley slopes have northward-facing viewpoints above the river, and the Verkiai Palace ruins on a hilltop within the park give an elevated position. Conditions improve from Bortle Class 4 in the valley toward Class 3-4 on the northern slopes. The park is accessible by bus from central Vilnius year-round.
Molėtai Astronomical Observatory area
Get directions ↗The Molėtai Observatory is Lithuania's main professional astronomical facility, operated by the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy and located on a hillside above the lake district because of its low light pollution - the site was chosen specifically for dark sky. The surrounding landscape of lakes and forest in the Molėtai region reaches Bortle Class 3, and the observatory hilltop gives open sky in all directions. Aurora events are sometimes observed and documented from the facility. The drive from Vilnius north on the A14 takes approximately 1 hour.
Aukštaitija National Park
Get directions ↗Aukštaitija is Lithuania's oldest national park, established in 1974, covering a lake and forest landscape in northeast Lithuania with around 100 lakes within the park boundary. The lakesides give water reflection foregrounds for aurora with open northern horizons across the flat lake surfaces, and the park reaches Bortle Class 3 throughout the interior. Accommodation is available within the park at several lake resorts, and Ignalina town on the park edge is the nearest settlement. The drive from Vilnius takes around 90 minutes via the A14 north and local roads east.
Best time to see the northern lights in Vilnius
At 54°N magnetic latitude, Vilnius 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 Vilnius'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.
Other Lithuania aurora forecasts
← Lithuania overviewRelated pages
Northern Lights Lithuania
Lithuania-wide aurora forecast hub.
Northern Lights Klaipėda Tonight
Klaipėda - Baltic coast, lower threshold, Curonian Spit dark sky.
Northern Lights Nida Tonight
Nida - Curonian Spit UNESCO dunes, Bortle Class 2-3.
Northern Lights Šiauliai Tonight
Šiauliai - 57°N magnetic latitude, Hill of Crosses foreground.
What Is the Kp Index?
How Kp 5 determines aurora at 54°N magnetic latitude.
Common questions
Northern lights from Vilnius - Molėtai Observatory, Aukštaitija National Park, and when to go.