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Aurora guide

Pick a Kp number to see how far south NOAA says aurora has been seen at that level, then open the official forecast for the night you are out.

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Read a Kp number

Choose a Kp to see what NOAA's scale says about it.

NOAA's full scale
Kp 5 · G1 (Minor)
Aurora is commonly visible at high latitudes (northern Michigan and Maine).
Kp 6 · G2 (Moderate)
Aurora has been seen as low as New York and Idaho (typically 55° geomagnetic latitude).
Kp 7 · G3 (Strong)
Aurora has been seen as low as Illinois and Oregon (typically 50° geomagnetic latitude).
Kp 8 · G4 (Severe)
Aurora has been seen as low as Alabama and northern California (typically 45° geomagnetic latitude).
Kp 9 · G5 (Extreme)
Aurora has been seen as low as Florida and southern Texas (typically 40° geomagnetic latitude).

Kp is not enough

  • NOAA: to see an aurora the sky must be clear and free of clouds, and it must be dark. At auroral latitudes in summer, the midnight sun prevents auroral observations.

    NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centerhttps://www.spaceweather.gov/phenomena/aurora · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Met Office (UK): it takes a severe or extreme geomagnetic storm (Kp 8-9+) to bring the aurora belt south directly over the UK. Moderate to strong storms (Kp 6-7) can be faintly visible from the UK because they occur at high altitudes.

    Met Officehttps://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/space-weather/auroras · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Met Office (UK): you need a clear night with no cloud cover, and a dark location with no light pollution.

    Met Officehttps://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/space-weather/auroras · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Met Office (UK): the best chance is around the equinoxes and solstices, which it gives as March/April and September/October. It says the lights are most visible in Scotland, northern England, North Wales and Northern Ireland, from north-facing coasts and rural spots.

    Met Officehttps://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/optical-effects/northern-lights · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Icelandic Met Office: the aurora requires dark and partly clear skies. Its forecast page shows a cloud-cover map of Iceland and an auroral-activity scale of 0 to 9 for midnight.

    Icelandic Met Officehttps://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/ · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • NOAA's aurora forecast is short term: it gives a 30 to 90 minute forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora. It cannot tell you what a night three weeks away will do.

    NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centerhttps://www.spaceweather.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

Official forecasts

We do not forecast. Open these on the night.

  • North America and worldwide

    Aurora 30-minute forecast (map of location and intensity)

    NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centerhttps://www.spaceweather.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Iceland

    Aurora forecast with cloud-cover map

    Icelandic Met Officehttps://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/ · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • United Kingdom

    Auroras and space weather

    Met Officehttps://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/space-weather/auroras · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

Each statement was read off the publisher's own page on 2026-10-24. An aurora is never guaranteed, even at a high Kp. Check the official forecast and the local weather before you travel, and dress for the cold if you go out at night. This is a summary, not a forecast.