Aurora Forecast

The Northern Lights, also called Aurora Borealis, happen when solar wind particles hit atoms in Earth's magnetosphere. This pushes electrons in those atoms to a higher energy level. When the electrons drop back down, they release light. That light show is the aurora.

Auroras are active all year. But you can only see them when the sky is dark enough, so winter is the best season to travel.

The best places to see them sit near the Arctic circle, above 60° latitude. This includes Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, Russia and Alaska.

A beginner's guide to chasing the Northern Lights

Seeing the Aurora Borealis is a bucket-list experience, but it requires being in the right place at the right time. To maximize your chances, you need four key ingredients:

• Clear skies: Clouds will block your view.
• Strong solar activity: The sun needs to be active enough to fuel the lights.
• Darkness: You need to get away from bright city light pollution.
• Good timing: To give yourself the best shot, travel to the Aurora Zone. This includes the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, and Alaska.

Hello Aurora keeps aurora lover ahead with real-time data, personalized alerts, and global sightings. Download Hello Aurora today

Frequently asked questions

Q: How far in advance can you accurately predict the Northern Lights?
A: The most reliable forecast is always on the day of your hunt because real-time metrics measure live activity. We recommend using long-range forecasts as a general guide and re-checking conditions on the night you go out.

Q: What time of night is the aurora most active?
A: The Northern Lights are most visible during pitch-black nights under clear skies. Activity peaks when high solar activity aligns. To help you plan, Hello Aurora calculates Peak Hours using historical sighting trends from previous solar cycles. You can see the best hours of the day on the Today's tab on the app.

Q: What Kp index do I need for my location?
A: It depends on your latitude. Aurora hunters in Arctic regions like Iceland or northern Scandinavia do not need to monitor the Kp index. Instead, rely on real-time metrics like Aurora Strength and Bz direction to judge local activity.

Q: Can you see the aurora through clouds?
A: Thick cloud cover is your primary obstacle, but powerful aurora displays can still show through thin gaps. To maximize your chances, travel to areas free of low-altitude clouds that block the sky. Use the cloud coverage on the Map tab to see cloud progressions.

Q: Why should you not rely on the Kp index in the Arctic?
A: The Kp index measures global magnetic activity to show how far south auroras might spread. If you are already located directly under the auroral oval, local metrics like Aurora Strength and Bz provide far better accuracy.

Q: Why should you use Hello Aurora?
A: Hello Aurora tracks space weather metrics that directly impact your location. By connecting to your nearest local magnetometer, our app combines real-time solar data with local cloud cover to give you the forecast of tonight’s sky.