Features
What you will get with the app
Aurora forecast
Real-time, 27-day and seasonal outlook forecast.
Alerts
Aurora alerts & real-time Northern Lights sightings
Aurora map
Where to see the Northern Lights tonight
Aurora moments
Live Northern Lights sightings & real-time aurora report
Aurora passport
Track your Northern Lights sighting journey
All features
Everything the app can do
The Ultimate Aurora Map
Track the live aurora oval, check real-time cloud coverage and see crowd-sourced sightings worldwide. Everything you need to find clear skies and catch the lights tonight in one app.
Aurora Oval
See exactly where Northern Lights are occurring right now on the map, track the oval to see the movement and expansion of the lights.
Global live sightings
See where people are spotting the Northern Lights in real time. View photos and verified ground reports from aurora hunters worldwide.
Total cloud coverage
Clouds are your main enemy when chasing the lights. Monitor real-time total cloud cover to pinpoint, clear skies.
Low cloud coverage
Low clouds form thick ceilings that completely hide the Northern Lights. Monitor low-cloud forecasts to find a gap in the coverage tonight.
3D Aurora Map
ProExperience interactive 3D visualizations of the aurora oval and see where the Moments are shared easily by changing the appearance of the map.
What people loves about our aurora map
The map with community sightings is the best feature and isn’t on other apps I’ve seen.
Fantastic app that has been essential in our search for auroras. map shows cloud cover, data from instruments helps set potential sighting expectations and the community photos help locate them in real time. Allow notifications for this app and you will spot one!
Good app, useful for understanding where (on the map) people are seeing aurora
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.
Get started
Don't wait any longer, download
hello aurora and start exploring!