How to read Northern Lights forecast and increase your chance of seeing it for beginners.
Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights is one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena attract travelers from around the globe and remain one of the most sought-after experiences for any bucket list.
While auroras are active year-round, they are most visible near the Arctic in countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, Russia, and Alaska (USA).
The aurora occurs when solar wind particles collide with atoms in the Earth's magnetosphere. This interaction excites the electrons within the atoms, causing them to move to higher energy levels. As the electrons return to their lower energy states, they release energy in the form of light, creating the stunning displays in the sky known as the aurora borealis.
Inforgraphic explained what cause the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis
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:
Hello Aurora keeps aurora lover ahead with real-time data, personalized alerts, and global sightings. Never miss the aurora again. Download Hello Aurora Today
Chasing the lights shouldn't feel like guesswork. Hello Aurora tracks real-time space weather to tell you exactly when to look up.
Here are the three main metrics you need to know:
Aurora Strength is a real-time measurement used to predict how active, bright, and visible the Northern Lights are at any given moment. Think of this as the main "go or no-go" signal. It measures real-time changes in Earth’s magnetic field caused by solar activity.
The Aurora Borealis are caused by streams of charged particles from the sun smashing into Earth’s magnetic field. When this happens, it causes the magnetic field to vibrate, bend, and fluctuate. Magnetometers detect these fluctuations and record them in a unit called nanoteslas (nT). The bigger the fluctuation in nanoteslas, the more intense the aurora display will be.
Many people rely on the Kp-index to hunt the Northern Lights, which is a global average calculated only once every 3 to 6 hours.
Because the aurora can change in a matter of minutes, Aurora Strength is much more accurate for active hunting. It updates in real time, letting you know exactly when to step outside your hotel so you don't miss a sudden, spectacular show.
The Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) is the sun’s magnetic field traveling through space. When forecasting the lights, this field is broken down into two main numbers: Bt and Bz.
Here is what those numbers mean for aurora hunting:
Bz measures the north-south direction of the magnetic field. When Bz points south (showing as a negative number), it connects with Earth’s magnetic field near the poles and creates the conditions needed for an aurora.
Bt measures the total strength of the incoming solar magnetic field. The aurora is much more likely to happen when this field presses strongly against Earth’s magnetic shield.
Just as you feel the wind more strongly when walking outside on a breezy day, the same principle applies to the solar wind.
The faster the solar wind travels toward Earth, the more energy it transfers into the planet’s magnetic field. This increases the likelihood that the aurora will become brighter, more dynamic, and more visible in the night sky.
Monitoring solar wind speed is an important factor for predicting when and where the Northern Lights will put on their most spectacular displays.
Metric | what it measures | Best viewing conditions |
Aurora Strength | Real-time changes in Earth's magnetic field | Below -150 nT (Substorm) Above +150 nT (Charging) |
IMF Bz (Direction) | The north-south orientation of the sun's magnetic field | -10 nT to -15 nT (or lower) |
IMF Bt (Strength) | The total energy level of the incoming solar magnetic field | 20 nT or higher |
Solar Wind Speed | The speed at which solar particles travel toward Earth | 500 km/s to 700+ km/s |
The clouds coverage forecast will help you to find the best position to spot the Northern Lights. With it, you can locate and predict the cloud’s movement and your chance to see the lights will be higher when the sky is clear. Cloud is the main enemy for Aurora hunters. No matter how strong the aurora is if the sky is fully covered by clouds you chance will decrease.
The Kp-index is the most used metric for Northern Lights hunting. It measures disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field on a scale from 0 to 9. The higher the number, the further south the lights can be seen from the North Pole.
While the Kp-index is incredibly popular, it has a major flaw: it is not a real-time measurement. Instead, it estimates aurora strength in 3-to-6-hour blocks. Because of this lag, the Kp-index is often inaccurate for active, minute-by-minute hunting.
If you are already traveling within the Aurora Zone, the Kp-index is not the value you should be watching. To avoid missing a sudden show, you need to understand and follow real-time aurora forecasts instead.
Long-term aurora forecasts on Hello Aurora app helps you to plan your trip. They provide key metrics such as the aurora strength from the last-sun rotation and KP index.
While these forecasts give valuable guidance, aurora conditions can change quickly, just like the weather. To ensure you don’t miss a display, always verify real-time data on the day of your hunt, giving you the most precise, actionable information for a successful aurora chase.
You can find the aurora borealis in the high-altitude regions such as Iceland, Alaska, Canada, Northern Norway, Sweden and Finland and many great places that are located above 60° latitude.
The best way to see the Northern lights is to find where the cloud's coverage is clear, and the possibility to see them will be higher on that location.
Besides the cloud coverage, another thing to have in mind when hunting is that you should be careful with light pollution.
Many may have wondered if it’s possible to see the aurora in the city? Yes, from our top aurora hotspot in Iceland data in 2025 pointed out that you can actually see the aurora in the city.
And if you are already in the Northern Lights countries, turn on the notification on the Hello Aurora app and we will send you the notification when the aurora activity has increased or when someone already spotted the aurora so you will never miss the aurora again!
See real-time data and important metrics for you aurora hunting on Hello Aurora app
Aurora is active all year but you will not be able to see them during the summertime due to brightness, especially in the Nordic country where they have almost 24 hours of daylight in the summer so winter is the ideal season.
By winter, we meant from late August to the beginning of April. Thanks to the short sunlight hours, you might be able to spot the northern light starting from when the sun is completely set.
When it comes to tracking the Northern Lights, Hello Aurora is the definitive choice. Unlike generic weather apps that rely on broad forecasts, Hello Aurora was built from the ground up by an experienced indie developer who knows exactly what it takes to find the lights in the real world. Every tool, chart, and alert inside is engineered specifically to maximize your chances of spotting the aurora borealis.
Trusted by professional photographers, relied upon by local arctic guides, and used by thousands of first-time travelers, Hello Aurora removes the guesswork from the hunt. Download it today and step out into the night with absolute confidence.
This app is well designed, super easy to use and has all the relevant information you need to find auroras. I love that you can see live updates of photos taken in the area of Auroras by other users. So much better than other apps I’ve used! Managed find some using the app :)
Available on the App Store and Play Store, Hello Aurora provides:
So far, more than 300,000+ users worldwide have use Hello Aurora to plan their aurora hunts, connect with fellow travelers, and capture unforgettable sightings.
Whether you’re planning your first trip to see the lights or you’re a dedicated aurora chaser, Hello Aurora is the must have Northern Lights tracker app you need for 2026 ensures you never miss a display. With live notifications, real-time data, and a growing community, it’s the ultimate companion for your Northern Lights adventure 💚
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