Aurora forecast

Plan your next night outside

Read the aurora outlook before you head out.

Explore NOAA’s short-term aurora model, then check whether your local sky is dark and clear. Activity on the map is a reason to look more closely, not a promise of northern lights.

What this aurora map shows

The globe displays the latest available NOAA OVATION model of auroral activity. NOAA describes this as a short-term forecast, commonly with around 30 to 90 minutes of lead time depending on solar-wind travel time. Some fallback conditions provide no forecast lead time, so always read the valid time.

Choose your place, then explore the globe to compare it with the modeled activity. The colors describe the model’s strength across the map. They are not the percentage chance that you personally will see a display. Aurora can sometimes be visible toward the horizon even when it is not directly overhead.

Read the time before the colors

The displayed time is the model’s valid time in the selected place’s local time zone. Next Light omits maps older than two hours. If the source is unavailable or too old, the page says so instead of presenting a stale layer as current.

This source does not supply a seven-day local aurora forecast. The aurora view therefore has a legend rather than a forecast-time slider. Reopen or reload the page to request fresh readings before deciding whether to leave.

Turn the outlook into a local plan

Check local darkness, cloud cover, and an unobstructed viewing direction separately. In the Northern Hemisphere, a clear northern horizon is useful; in the Southern Hemisphere, look toward the south for the southern lights. Avoid assuming the map has already accounted for your local weather.

Pick a place you are allowed to use after dark and decide how long you can stay. Keep a nearby alternative in mind if access or clouds change. A current map plus a realistic local plan is more useful than an isolated screenshot of an intense-looking forecast.

What about Kp and alerts?

Kp is a separate measure of geomagnetic disturbance. The website does not provide a dedicated live Kp chart or combine Kp with local weather into a sighting score. Read the guide below if you want to understand the number in aurora headlines.

Next Light for iPhone offers optional aurora alerts. Use an alert as a prompt to check the current outlook and sky. Notification timing and a visible display are not guaranteed. The web map remains available without an account.