LIVE
Northern lights cam - explore.org
Source: explore.org (YouTube) · YouTube embed
Northern lights tonight in Calgary
Chance tonight
-
Kp needed to see the aurora low on the northern horizon (estimate): 3.5
Look north, away from city lights, ideally between 10 pm and 2 am.
Source: NOAA SWPC · GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences · Updated: -
Next nights
| Night | Highest Kp | NOAA scale | Chance here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading data... | |||
Aurora oval right now
Loading data...
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Colour shows the probability of aurora overhead from the NOAA OVATION model for the next 30-90 minutes. The darker side of the globe is night: only there can the aurora be seen.
3-day Kp index forecast
Kp < 5Kp 5-6Kp 7+Kp needed to see the aurora low on the northern horizon: 3.5
Kp index, geomagnetic storms and where the aurora shows
The higher the Kp, the farther from the pole the aurora can be seen. From Kp 5 NOAA calls it a geomagnetic storm (scale G1-G5). The last column lists cities where the aurora may appear low on the horizon at that Kp (our approximate model).
| Kp | NOAA scale | What it means | Where it may be visible |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-3 | - | quiet | Edinburgh, Oslo, Tromsø, Rovaniemi, Reykjavík, Fairbanks |
| 4 | - | quiet | Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Dublin, Calgary |
| 5 | G1 | minor storm | Copenhagen, Riga, Vancouver, Montreal |
| 6 | G2 | moderate storm | London, Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot, Łeba, Hel |
| 7 | G3 | strong storm | Białystok, Poznań, Warsaw, Wrocław, Paris, Chicago |
| 8 | G4 | severe storm | Kraków, Zakopane, Munich, Prague, New York, Hobart |
| 9 | G5 | extreme storm | Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Melbourne |
Aurora in other cities
| City | Kp | Chance tonight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellowknife | 0 | - |
| Whitehorse | 0.5 | - |
| Edmonton | 2.5 | - |
| Winnipeg | 3 | - |
| Montreal | 5 | - |
| Vancouver | 5 | - |
| Toronto | 6 | - |
Aurora live on webcams
Cameras pointed at the sky in Lapland, Iceland, Canada and Alaska. The aurora shows only at night, under clear skies.
LIVE
Fairbanks aurora cam - explore.org
Source: explore.org (YouTube) · YouTube embed
LIVE
Aurora cam Reykjavík
Source: Aurora Reykjavík The Northern Lights Center (YouTube) · YouTube embed
FAQ
What Kp index do you need to see the aurora in Calgary?
In our approximate model the aurora may appear low on the northern horizon in Calgary at a Kp of about 3.5 or higher. With a higher Kp it is brighter and reaches higher in the sky.
What time should I look?
Usually between 10 pm and 2 am local time, on a clear night, away from city lights. Look north.
Can you see the aurora with the naked eye?
During weaker activity it often shows up mainly on phone or camera photos (long exposure). During strong geomagnetic storms it is visible to the naked eye.
Geomagnetic latitude (approx.): 57.5°
How we estimate the chance: we compare NOAA's Kp forecast with an approximate aurora visibility boundary for the city's geomagnetic latitude. It is an estimate, not a guarantee - clouds and light pollution also decide whether you will see it.