All locations› Poland› Gdańsk

Northern lights Gdańsk tonight

Gdańsk sits at 54°N magnetic latitude on the Baltic Sea — the best-positioned major Polish city for aurora. Kp 5 is the threshold from the Hel Peninsula and Słowiński National Park. The north-facing Baltic coast gives open sea horizons that inland Polish sites cannot match. The G5 storm of May 2024 produced visible aurora from Gdańsk's beaches. Best season: September to March.

Aurora visibility - Gdańsk

Unlikely tonight

Kp 1 is well below the Kp 5 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Gdańsk.

Current Kp

of 9

Threshold for Gdańsk: Kp 5 Magnetic latitude: ~54°N Updated: 21 May, 06:17 UTC

↓ Bz — nT Solar wind — km/s Density — p/cm³ ☁ —%

Conditions right now: — Kp + Bz + solar wind + cloud + moon

7-day outlook for Gdańsk

Today

21 May

Quiet

Tomorrow

22 May

Quiet

Sat

23 May

Quiet

Sun

24 May

Quiet

Mon

25 May

Quiet

Tue

26 May

Quiet

Wed

27 May

Quiet

Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.

What Kp is needed here?

Gdańsk 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 Gdańsk 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 Gdańsk

Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.

Hel Peninsula

Get directions ↗

Bortle Class 2–3 - Excellent dark sky 60 km from Gdańsk - approximately 50 minute drive

A narrow sand spit 35 km long that juts north-east from the Tri-City into the open Gulf of Gdańsk. The northern shore faces the open Baltic Sea with a wide unobstructed horizon. Outside the summer season the towns of Hel, Jurata, and Jastarnia are quiet and dark. The peninsula road runs along the crest giving elevated positions on both the sea and the bay side. One of the few places in Poland with both latitude advantage and a genuinely north-facing ocean horizon.

Słowiński National Park

Get directions ↗

Bortle Class 2–3 - Excellent dark sky 135 km from Gdańsk - approximately 90 minute drive

A coastal national park east of Słupsk, known for its extraordinary moving sand dunes up to 30 m high. The dune crests above the lake of Łebsko give elevated positions with an unobstructed northern view over the Baltic. Virtually no development exists on the park's coast. The nearby town of Łeba is small and dark in winter. This is the best Bortle Class 2 position on the Polish Baltic coast - comparable in darkness to the most remote locations in the Baltic states.

Kashubian Switzerland

Get directions ↗

Bortle Class 3–4 - Rural sky 55 km from Gdańsk - approximately 50 minute drive

A lake-dotted post-glacial landscape south-west of Gdańsk, sometimes called Poland's little Scandinavia. The rolling morainic hills reach 329 m at Wieżyca, the highest point in the coastal lowlands. Dark sky values here are considerably better than in Gdańsk itself. The open hilltops give north-facing views with minimal light pollution from small villages. A practical option for Gdańsk residents who want improved sky darkness without a long drive.

Best time to see the northern lights in Gdańsk

At 54°N magnetic latitude, Gdańsk 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.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

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 Gdańsk'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 Poland aurora forecasts

← Poland overview

Masurian Lakes

Unlikely

Northeast Poland, darkest region in central Europe

~54°N mag. lat. Kp 5

Cape Kolka

Unlikely

Northernmost Latvia, Slītere National Park, Bortle Class 2

~58°N mag. lat. Kp 4

Lahemaa National Park

Unlikely

Käsmu peninsula and Altja coast, Bortle Class 2, Gulf of Finland

~60°N mag. lat. Kp 3

Northern Lights Poland

Poland-wide aurora forecast hub.

Northern Lights Masurian Lakes Tonight

Masurian Lakes - the darkest skies in Poland, northeast lake district.

Northern Lights Cape Kolka Tonight

Cape Kolka - Latvia's best aurora position, 500 km north at 58°N magnetic.

Northern Lights Lahemaa Tonight

Lahemaa - Estonia's Bortle Class 2 coastline at 60°N, Kp 3 threshold.

What Is the Kp Index?

What Kp 5 means for aurora visibility at 54°N magnetic latitude.

Common questions

Aurora watching from Gdańsk — Hel Peninsula, Słowiński, and the Baltic coast.

Can you see the northern lights from Gdańsk?

During moderate to strong geomagnetic storms, yes. Gdańsk at 54°N magnetic latitude needs Kp 5 - a G1 geomagnetic storm. These occur 20–30 times per year during an active solar period. The key advantage is the Baltic coast: the Hel Peninsula gives a north-facing sea horizon that lets observers detect low-altitude aurora that inland sites would miss. The G5 storm of May 2024 was clearly visible from Gdańsk's beaches.

What Kp is needed for aurora in Gdańsk?

Kp 5 from the Hel Peninsula or Słowiński National Park. The Kp index is a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours. At Kp 5 the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible above the northern horizon from 54°N magnetic latitude. Cloud cover is the main obstacle - the Baltic coast can be overcast for extended periods in winter.

Is Gdańsk good for aurora watching compared to the rest of Poland?

Yes - it is the best-positioned major Polish city for aurora. The three factors that matter are latitude, sky darkness, and horizon. Gdańsk has the highest geographic latitude of any large Polish city (54°N), the Hel Peninsula gives a dark north-facing ocean horizon, and the Słowiński National Park 90 minutes west provides Bortle Class 2 conditions. Warsaw, Kraków, and Wrocław all sit at lower latitudes with no sea access.

What is the Baltic aurora circuit and how does Gdańsk fit in?

The Baltic states form a natural aurora gradient from south to north. Gdańsk (Poland, 54°N magnetic) and Klaipėda (Lithuania, 55°N) are the southern end; Latvia's Cape Kolka (58°N) is the mid-point; Estonia's Lahemaa National Park (60°N) and Tallinn are the northern end with the lowest threshold. During a Kp 5+ event, all of these locations can see aurora on the same night from their respective north-facing coasts - a rare and dramatic Baltic-wide phenomenon. Travelling the circuit north increases the probability at each step.

When is aurora season in Gdańsk?

September to March. Baltic Poland has a maritime climate strongly influenced by the North Sea to the west and the Baltic Sea to the north, producing frequent cloud cover in winter. The clearest periods tend to come with high-pressure anticyclones in late September–October and again in February–March. The equinox months bring a statistical increase in geomagnetic activity. Summer nights are too bright at this latitude - astronomical darkness is absent in June and very short in May and July.

Northern lights Gdańsk tonight

7-day outlook for Gdańsk

What Kp is needed here?

Best dark sky sites near Gdańsk

Best time to see the northern lights in Gdańsk

Other Poland aurora forecasts

Related pages

Common questions

Photograph the Aurora - Recommended Gear