Northern lights in Elan Valley tonight
Powys, Wales · 52° magnetic latitude · Kp 6-7 threshold
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 6-7 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Elan Valley.
7-day outlook for Elan Valley
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Elan Valley sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 52°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 6-7 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 6-7, visibility is possible from Elan Valley 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 Elan Valley
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Elan Valley Estate
Get directions ↗Certified an International Dark Sky Park (Silver tier) by the International Dark-Sky Association in June 2015 - the world's first privately-owned, publicly accessible International Dark Sky Park. The 45,000-acre estate is a chain of Victorian reservoirs built by Birmingham Corporation between 1893 and 1904 to supply the city with water, set in the sparsely populated upland moorland of the Cambrian Mountains at 400-600 m elevation. The valley is dark almost throughout, with the Visitor Centre as the practical starting point for finding an open viewpoint along the reservoir road.
Best time to see the northern lights in Elan Valley
At 52°N magnetic latitude, Elan Valley 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 Elan Valley'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.
Up to 8 locations
Related pages
Northern Lights Wales Tonight
Wales-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Snowdonia Tonight
Eryri Dark Sky Reserve, north Wales.
Read →Northern Lights Brecon Beacons Tonight
Bannau Brycheiniog Dark Sky Reserve, south Wales.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
What Kp 6-7 means for viewing from mid Wales.
Read →Aurora photographs from Elan Valley
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Elan Valley
Aurora over Elan Valley
Aurora over Elan Valley
Aurora over Elan Valley
Aurora over Elan Valley
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