Where to see the aurora — tonight and the nights ahead

Tonight's northern- and southern-lights forecast for 35 top destinations, ranked by viewing odds — plus the next 7 nights and the best months to go, so you can plan the trip, not just chase tonight. Live NOAA space-weather + cloud forecasts, refreshed every hour.

Global aurora activity right now Kp 3.7 — Moderate
Quiet · 0Active · 3Storm · 59

Active — the aurora is visible across the northern-tier destinations when skies are clear.

Tonight's best odds

#DestinationTonightPeak Kp
1 Fort McMurray Canada 69 · Good Kp 2.7 ✓
2 Churchill Canada 14 · Low Kp 2.7 ✓
3 Ushuaia Argentina 8 · Low Kp 4.7
4 Hobart Australia 0 · Low Kp 2.7
5 Queenstown New Zealand 0 · Low Kp 2.7

Plan your aurora trip

Hardly anyone books an aurora trip the same day. The real decision — which destination, which week, which tour — is made days to months ahead. Here's the outlook for planning it.

Next 7 nights — top destinations in season now

Fort McMurray Canada · Kp 2+ to see it
Sun 6 AM Kp 2.7
Mon 6 AM Kp 3.7
Churchill Canada · Kp 0+ to see it
Sun 6 AM Kp 2.7
Mon 6 AM Kp 3.7
Ushuaia Argentina · Kp 5+ to see it
Sun 12 AM Kp 4.7
Sun 9 PM Kp 3.7
Mon 9 PM Kp 2.7

Best months to go

Most travelers plan a season ahead. These are the peak months for each destination — long, dark nights plus the equinox activity boost. Pick a place and the month the odds are real.

Tromsø Sep, Oct, Feb, Mar Fairbanks Sep, Mar, Oct, Feb Reykjavík Sep, Oct, Feb, Mar Yellowknife Sep, Oct, Mar, Nov Abisko Sep, Oct, Feb, Mar Rovaniemi Sep, Oct, Feb, Mar Inari Sep, Oct, Feb, Mar Alta Oct, Nov, Feb, Mar Senja Sep, Oct, Feb, Mar Lofoten Sep, Oct, Feb, Mar

Browse every best-month guide →

All aurora destinations

Pick a destination for tonight's odds, the 3-day forecast, the best month to visit, and tours to book.

Fort McMurray Canada · Good (69) Churchill Canada · Low (14) Ushuaia Argentina · Low (8) Hobart Australia · Low (0) Queenstown New Zealand · Low (0) Abisko Sweden · Out of season Akureyri Iceland · Out of season Alta Norway · Out of season Anchorage United States · Out of season Bodø Norway · Out of season Dawson City Canada · Out of season Fairbanks United States · Out of season Harstad Norway · Out of season Inari Finland · Out of season Iqaluit Canada · Out of season Ivalo Finland · Out of season Jukkasjärvi Sweden · Out of season Kirkenes Norway · Out of season Kiruna Sweden · Out of season Levi Finland · Out of season Lofoten Norway · Out of season Longyearbyen Norway · Out of season Luleå Sweden · Out of season Narvik Norway · Out of season Nuuk Greenland · Out of season Reykjavík Iceland · Out of season Rovaniemi Finland · Out of season Saariselkä Finland · Out of season Senja Norway · Out of season Sodankylä Finland · Out of season Tromsø Norway · Out of season Utsjoki Finland · Out of season Vardø Norway · Out of season Whitehorse Canada · Out of season Yellowknife Canada · Out of season
Odds are probabilistic forecasts from public NOAA space-weather data and Open-Meteo cloud forecasts — not guarantees. Cloud cover is usually what decides the night. How aurora forecasts work · our method & sources.