How to master your live Northern Lights tracker map
Our live aurora map combines real-time solar activity, global crowd-sourced sightings and local cloud forecasts into a single screen. Whether you are hunting from home or planning an Arctic road trip, here is how to use Hello Aurora'smap to find clear skies and catch the lights tonight.
Auroral oval (live nowcast)
The colored ring on your map represents the live auroral oval nowcast based on NOAA's OVATION model, showing where geomagnetic activity is occurring right now.
- Green: Indicates low to moderate aurora activity overhead
- Orange to red: Signals an intensifying geomagnetic storm with stronger visibility
How to use it: When the oval expands over your location, head outside and look up (remember to check cloud coverage and light pollution).
Check total and low cloud cover
Even a massive geomagnetic storm is invisible behind overcast skies. Use our cloud cover map for to find clear viewing windows:
- Toggle between total cloud cover and low cloud layers. Low-altitude clouds are the biggest obstacle for aurora hunters because they form a thick, opaque ceiling.
- Zoom in on your location or target destination to pinpoint breaks in the clouds
Pro Tip: Do a final weather check in the late afternoon to know where to go for the evening.
Track real-time global sightings
Scan the map for green pins representing ground reports submitted by fellow aurora hunters in the past hours.
- Tap any pin to see local activity intensity or view live photos taken on the ground.
Pro Tip: Turn on Aurora Spotted Alerts to get instant push notifications the moment someone confirms a display near you.
Discover featured "Moments"
Sightings with high-quality photos are automatically highlighted as the Featured Moments. Use this to verify display quality and see where the most dramatic photo spots are located.
One last advice to help you plan the upcoming trip
If you are heading to Northern Lights country soon. Check community sighting daily to see local hotspots and map out high-probability viewing routes in advance.