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Live aurora forecast

Northern lights Sweden tonight

Abisko in Swedish Lapland sits at 68°N magnetic latitude inside the auroral oval, and has a famous micro-climate that gives more clear nights than surrounding regions. Kp 1–2 is enough. The Aurora Sky Station and ICEHOTEL at Jukkasjärvi are two of the world's most distinctive aurora experiences.

Current Kp: 1 · Quiet

Aurora visibility by Swedish location

Abisko

Possible

Sweden's aurora capital - cloudless micro-climate

~68°N mag. lat. · Needs Kp 1+

Kiruna

Possible

ICEHOTEL and Swedish Lapland aurora

~68°N mag. lat. · Needs Kp 1+

Stockholm

Unlikely

Swedish capital - needs strong storms

~59°N mag. lat. · Needs Kp 4+

Sweden aurora at a glance

Abisko's defining characteristic is its micro-climate. The Scandinavian mountain range to the west forces moist Atlantic air upwards, depositing precipitation before it reaches the Abisko valley. The result is a pocket of unusually clear sky directly above the village while surrounding areas are clouded over. Combined with 68°N latitude and Kp 1-2 requirements, this makes Abisko the most reliably aurora-viewable spot in Sweden.

Kiruna, 100 km to the east and slightly less favoured by the micro-climate, is the nearest major town and the transport gateway. The ICEHOTEL at Jukkasjärvi 20 km from Kiruna has been operating since 1990 and is entirely rebuilt each December. The tundra landscape around both towns gives open sky horizon essential for low-Kp aurora watching.

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Northern Lights Kiruna Tonight

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Compare with Norway's aurora from Tromsø to Oslo.

What Is the Kp Index?

How Kp determines aurora visibility in Swedish Lapland.

Common questions

Northern lights in Sweden - Abisko, ICEHOTEL, and Aurora Sky Station.

Where is the best place to see the northern lights in Sweden?
Abisko in Swedish Lapland is the best aurora destination in Sweden and one of the best in the world. It sits at 68°N inside the auroral oval, but its key advantage is a local micro-climate caused by the surrounding mountain plateau that gives Abisko a statistically higher number of clear nights than the surrounding area. The Aurora Sky Station above the village was purpose-built for aurora watching. Kiruna, 100 km east, is the transport hub and has the famous ICEHOTEL at Jukkasjärvi nearby.
When is the best time for northern lights in Sweden?
September to April. Swedish Lapland has polar night from early December to early January, giving 24-hour darkness in Abisko and Kiruna. October and March are statistically the most active months geomagnetically due to the equinox effect. The shoulder months (September, April) combine reasonable darkness with milder temperatures.
What Kp is needed for aurora in Sweden?
Kp 1-2 from Abisko and Kiruna in northern Swedish Lapland. Stockholm in the south needs Kp 4-5. The far north of Sweden sits at 68°N magnetic latitude inside the auroral oval, where aurora is visible on almost any clear night in winter. Stockholm at 59°N needs a moderate-to-strong geomagnetic storm.
What is the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko?
The Aurora Sky Station is a purpose-built observatory on the summit of Mount Nuolja above Abisko, reached by a chair lift. At 900 m above sea level, it is above the local cloud layer on many nights when the valley below is clouded over. The station has a restaurant and heated viewing terraces. It is the most reliably clear-sky aurora platform in Sweden.
What is the ICEHOTEL in Kiruna?
The ICEHOTEL at Jukkasjärvi, 20 km from Kiruna, is the world's first hotel built entirely from ice and snow, rebuilt each winter from the frozen Torne River. The original ICEHOTEL runs from December to April. An adjacent permanent structure, ICEHOTEL 365, is kept frozen year-round. Aurora watching from the tundra outside the hotel at 68°N gives Kp 1-2 aurora on clear nights.