Aurora Forecast

Q: Will I see the northern lights tonight?

Use the map and tap ‘Use my location’: it reads NOAA's OVATION model for the aurora probability directly over you for the next hour. Even when the probability is high you also need a dark, clear sky away from city lights and a view toward the pole (north in the northern hemisphere). The aurora reaches lower latitudes only during stronger geomagnetic storms, shown by a higher Kp index.

Live aurora probability

Checks the aurora chance directly over you. Location is used only for this and never stored.

Kp index

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Storm level

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At your location

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Forecast time

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Geomagnetic activity (Kp 0–9)

This is a short-term probability forecast, not an alert or a guarantee. The aurora can flare and fade within minutes, and clear, dark skies away from city lights matter as much as the numbers. For alerts and detailed forecasts, see NOAA's Aurora 30-Minute Forecast.

100% free, no sign-up Official NOAA data, no API key Location used on tap, never stored

Aurora sky view

An artistic animation of what the northern lights look like — it brightens and gains colour as the current Kp rises. This is a stylised view for a feel of the display, not a live image or a physics simulation.

ISS Tracker

Watch the International Space Station cross a world map in real time — live latitude, longitude, altitude and speed.

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Sky Explorer

Pan and zoom across the real night sky — galaxies, nebulae and star fields from professional survey imagery.

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How the Aurora Forms

Watch solar-wind particles spiral along Earth's magnetic field and light the aurora at both poles, in an interactive simulator.

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How It Works

Open it and the current aurora oval appears — no account, no key.

Read the map

The glowing bands are the auroral ovals around each pole, shaded by probability from NOAA's OVATION model for the next hour. Green is low, through yellow and amber to pink for intense, rare activity.

Check the Kp index

The Kp number and storm level tell you how active Earth's magnetic field is right now. The higher the Kp, the further from the poles the aurora can reach — Kp 5+ is a geomagnetic storm.

Check your location

Tap Use my location to read the aurora probability directly over you and get a plain-English verdict. Then find a dark, clear sky away from city lights and look toward the pole.

About the Aurora

The aurora — the northern lights (aurora borealis) and their southern twin (aurora australis) — happens when charged particles from the Sun, funnelled by Earth's magnetic field, slam into gases high in the atmosphere and make them glow. Oxygen gives the familiar green and occasional red; nitrogen adds blues and purples. The glow forms oval rings around the magnetic poles, which swell toward the equator when the solar wind is strong. See it happen step by step in the Aurora Simulator.

This forecast uses NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center's OVATION Aurora model for aurora probability, together with the live planetary K-index for overall geomagnetic activity — both official, public NOAA products.

Space Weather Prediction Center Official source: NOAA SWPC

Green lightOxygen, ~100–300 km up

Red lightOxygen, above ~300 km

Blue / purpleNitrogen, lower altitude

Kp scale0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme)

Storm thresholdKp 5+ = G1–G5 storm

Best viewingDark, clear sky, toward the pole

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I see the northern lights tonight?

Use the map and tap ‘Use my location’: it reads NOAA's OVATION model for the aurora probability directly over you for the next hour. Even when the probability is high you also need a dark, clear sky away from city lights and a view toward the pole (north in the northern hemisphere). The aurora reaches lower latitudes only during stronger geomagnetic storms, shown by a higher Kp index.

What is the Kp index?

The planetary K-index (Kp) is a 0–9 scale of global geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the more energy from the solar wind is disturbing Earth's magnetic field, and the further from the poles the aurora can be seen. Kp 5 or above is a geomagnetic storm (NOAA G1–G5), when the aurora may appear at mid-latitudes.

Where does this aurora forecast come from?

The map is NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center's OVATION Aurora model — a short-term (roughly 30–90 minute) forecast of aurora probability across the globe — combined with the live planetary K-index. Both are official NOAA products, read straight from the browser. The map shows NASA’s Black Marble “Earth at night” imagery (or Esri satellite imagery), and nothing about you is stored.

Is this an aurora alert or a guarantee?

No — this aurora forecast is a short-term probability map, not an alert service and not a guarantee. Aurora is notoriously variable — it can flare up or fade within minutes, and local cloud cover or light pollution can hide it entirely. For alerts and detailed forecasts, see NOAA SWPC directly.

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How the Aurora Forms

How It Works

Read the map

Check the Kp index

Check your location

About the Aurora

Frequently Asked Questions

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