Northern lights in Svalbard tonight
High Arctic, Norway · 78° magnetic latitude · Kp 1 threshold
Kp 1 is at the threshold for Svalbard. Aurora may be visible from a dark site if cloud cover permits.
7-day outlook for Svalbard
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Svalbard sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 78°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 1 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 1, visibility is possible from Svalbard 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 Svalbard
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Adventdalen valley - Longyearbyen outskirts
Get directions ↗The valley east of Longyearbyen gives an open dark sky within 15 minutes of town. The mountains on either side channel the view north and east. In polar night, the entire valley is in complete darkness and aurora is visible even from the edge of town on active nights.
Nybyen and the coal tipple ruins
Get directions ↗The old mining ruins at Nybyen, just east of Longyearbyen's centre, give an elevated position with historic Arctic foreground elements. Used frequently by photographers for aurora-over-abandoned-infrastructure compositions.
Barentsburg (Russian mining settlement)
Get directions ↗The helicopter flight or snowmobile route to Barentsburg offers the chance to view aurora from a completely isolated Arctic settlement with almost no light pollution. A guided overnight snowmobile expedition here is one of the furthest-flung positions accessible to visitors without specialist polar expedition training.
Best time to see the northern lights in Svalbard
At 78°N magnetic latitude, Svalbard has one of the longest aurora seasons in the world. Meaningful darkness returns in late August and displays are possible on almost any clear night from September through March. Only the endless daylight of May, June, and July rules out viewing completely.
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 Svalbard's latitude.
May through July is effectively impossible for aurora viewing: the midnight sun keeps the sky bright around the clock at this latitude. No storm level, not even G5, can produce a visible display without astronomical darkness.
Other Norway aurora forecasts
How often does the aurora appear in Svalbard?
Average nights per month the Kp reached Svalbard's threshold of 1+, from 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010–2024).
Counts the Kp 1+ threshold only - cloud cover and local darkness are not included.
Kp data: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, CC BY 4.0
Plan your trip to Svalbard
Best window
The December to February window averages 75 aurora nights - the strongest consecutive stretch of the year.
How long to stay
For your best chance in February, plan at least 1 night.
Related pages
Northern Lights Norway
Norway-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Tromsø Tonight
Tromsø - the most accessible Arctic aurora destination.
Read →Northern Lights Alta Tonight
Alta in Finnmark - polar night and low Kp threshold.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
How Kp 1 produces aurora at 78°N magnetic latitude.
Read →Northern Lights Photography
Camera settings for high-Arctic aurora photography.
Read →Northern Lights Bucket List
Svalbard polar night aurora is one of the world's top 12 aurora experiences.
Read →Aurora photographs from Svalbard
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Svalbard 
Aurora over Svalbard 
Aurora over Svalbard 
Aurora over Svalbard 
Aurora over Svalbard 
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