Please note the following:
All links below point to external providers of weather services. Please do not use this feature if this raises privacy concerns for you.
When you click a link below you will send your currently selected location to that provider. A link will open in a browser or in the own app of the provider (if supported and installed).
Links are sorted alphabetically and do not represent a preferred order.
Please set a location and select the correct timezone. By doing so, all times will be converted and you will not have to do any conversions yourself.
One major feature of this app is that it has a different color scheme as compared to most others. A red color indicates unfavourable conditions for seeing Auroras. The colors will shift to orange, yellow, green and turquoise as the conditions improve.
Read up on the Activity Levels below to find out more about the colors and their meaning.
The color scale is also located at the bottom of the forecast.
Please start with selecting your approximate Location and timezone according to where you are planning to view the Aurora's. Feel free to change the location when your plans change.
By doing so, all times will be shown in the chosen timezone and you will not have to do any conversions yourself. In addition, a number of features will be able to display the correct information.
Have a look at the Settings and possible Aurora Scout Premium licensing options. A free trial is possible.
If you already have Aurora Scout Premium you can turn on the Premium features.
The main feature of this app is to provide you with a comprehensive Aurora Forecast which should support you in your search for the Auroras. The data is provided by NASA (US space agency), summarized in 5 minute slots, represented in a table or chart.
The amount of information that can help you understand the Auroras and what it takes to successfully see them is extensive. Please let any of the topics below be a starting point to become familiar with the different aspects involved.
Stream of magnetically charged particles originating from the Sun.
Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are a natural phenomenon. As the Solar Wind enters Earth's upper atmosphere it collides with Oxygen atoms and Nitrogen molecules. As a result of these collisions the Solar Wind looses energy and makes the atoms and molecules emit light.
It is Mother Nature's own laser show.
The "Planetary K-index" is the most well-known number in relation to the Auroras. In it's most common use case it functions as a measure for the estimated disturbance to Earth's magentic field caused by the Solar Wind, relevant for the whole planet.
However, it is not as accurate at predicting the Aurora activity as you might think. First and foremost it is a forecast. As the inputs for forecasts change over time so will the outcome.
Sometimes predicted Kp activity arrives earlier or much later than expected, this difference can vary from hours to days even.
The Kp-index comes from the standard 3-day NASA forecast and is presented in 3 hour time slots.
Further reading: Wikipedia - K-index
The estimated time of arrival of the Solar Wind at Earth is based on the measured Solar Wind's speed. It is done by multiple NASA satellites that measure the characteristics of the Solar Wind located at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from Earth (1% of the total Earth-Sun distance).
Because the ETA is calculated as the time it takes to cover a distance from the satellites to Earth there is no accounting for additional things that need to happen before the Aurora becomes visible. Sometimes changes happen within 5 minutes of the ETA and sometimes it can take much longer (over one hour), patience is a virtue in most cases.
The speed at which the Solar Wind particles travel.
Orientation of the magnetic field inside the Solar Wind in the direction that it has the most interaction with Earth's magnetic field. When Bz is negative it is attracted to Earth's magnetic field, if it is positive it will repel. Greater attraction will allow easier entry of the Solar Wind into the atmosphere triggering better Aurora's.
The density of the Solar Wind is determined by the number of protons per cubic centimeter (protons ccm / pcc). The more particles the more collisions there will be in the upper atmosphere and the brighter the Aurora's will potentially become.
The amount of energy that the Solar Wind is able to bring into the upper atmosphere. High energy levels are associated with vibrant colors, fast movement as well as better visibility away from the poles towards the equator.
Depending on your location the amount for the Northern or Southern hemisphere is shown.
By calculating the angle and length of the By and Bz arm you get a better understanding of how well magnetic field inside the Solar Wind will be able to interact with Earth's magnetic field. A favorable angle (150° ... 210°) and long enough arm are favorable conditions.
The amount of protons (*108) per cm2 per second that are passing.
With how much pressure is the Solar Wind pushing against Earth's magnetic field.
Provides information which satellite is currently used to provide data (ACE or DSCOVR).
As both satellites have a different position in the L1 Lagrange point and differently calibrated instuments they provide two data feeds with (slightly) different numbers.
At the bottom of the nowcast it shows which satellite(s) provided the data.
The darker the night the easier it is to observe Aurora's. In order for the Aurora to be visible it will have to be stronger than a number of different sources of light pollution:
Location of Earth's magnetic North and South pole as seen from very far away (think in terms of approaching Solar Wind).
Oval shaped area around the Geomagnetic Poles where the Solar Wind enters Earth's atmosphere and the Auroras can be seen.
The size and shape of the Auroral Oval are depending on the characteristics of the Solar Wind.
The time when you, at your current location, the closest Geomagnetic Pole and the Sun are aligned. At this moment in the night the Auroral Oval will be the furthest away from the Poles and appear at it's highest point in the sky, making it easier to observe.
Under low-activity circumstances the Auroral Oval can be seen overhead at Geomagnetic Midnight at a distance of roughly 2500km from the Geomagnetic Pole. The further away you position yourself the lower the Aurora will appear on the horizon. As you move further away it will eventually disappear behind the horizon.
Being able to estimate how dark the night sky will be at a certain time helps to assess the viewing potential. Twilight transitions give you an indication of how dark it is outside.
Both the level of illumination (0% = new moon, 100% = full moon), the angle above/below the horizon as well as it's place in the sky should help with assessing it's influence on how much brighter the sky will be due to the moonlight. indicates a visible moon, while means it will be below the horizon.
As the lowest point of the Aurora is at roughly 80km altitude and the highest clouds that can obscure seeing them can be up to 10km, having a clear, star filled sky is crucial to see the Aurora.
Clouds are usually your biggest challenge...
Surface events on the Sun will typically need 2 to 5 days before they can reach Earth, assuming they were pointed in our direction to begin with.
The Solar Wind passing the satellites in L1 (Lagrange point) will most likely affect Earth's magnetic field and enter the atmosphere. Measured Solar Wind will usually take about an hour to reach Earth and will influence how well the Aurora can be seen.
Aurora's can appear in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres and will be similar but not identical.
In order for you to see the Aurora you will need to be able to see stars. Local weather is not affected by the Aurora's.
Most information about the solar wind comes from warning systems. In a warning system green would indicate everything is calm and red warns people to be on high alert. When chasing the Aurora the more activity the better. So the traditional color approach does not match the experience. Aurora Scout has reversed and normalized the colors so they fit the situation better.
In order to more easily judge the numbers they have been colored according to their relative activity level. The levels are:
The probability of seeing Auroras is always a combination of many factors. A single bad (⬤) number does not mean it is impossible to see anything, it just becomes harder. A single good (⬤ or ⬤) number does not mean you will absolutely see Auroras, it just becomes easier. The quality of the Solar Wind (mix of colors), your location, sky darkness as well as current weather conditions will ultimately determine if you will see the Aurora.
Each level is based on the measured values according to the table below.
| Solar Wind Speed | kilometers / second (km/s) | |||
| < 300 | < 400 | < 500 | < 600 | > 600 |
| Speed at which the Solar Wind is approaching Earth. | ||||
| Bz | nano Tesla (nT) | |||
| > 2.2 | 2.2 ... 0 | 0 ... −5 | −5 ... −10 | < −10 |
| Component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) parallel to Earth's magnetic field. | ||||
| Clock Arm Length | nano Tesla (nT) | |||
| < 5 | < 10 | < 15 | < 20 | > 20 |
| Strength of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) arriving at Earth, vector of By and Bz. | ||||
| Clock Angle | Degrees from South | |||
| S ± 180° | S ± 90° | S ± 60° | S ± 30° | S ± 15° |
| Angle of By and Bz in the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) arriving at Earth. | ||||
| Density | protons / cm3 (pcc) | |||
| < 5 | < 10 | < 15 | < 20 | > 20 |
| Measured Density of the Solar Wind. | ||||
| Energy | Gigawatt (GW) | |||
| < 10 | < 20 | < 50 | < 100 | > 100 |
| Estimated amount of Energy the Solar Wind is able to bring into the upper atmosphere. | ||||
| Darkness | ||||
| Daylight | Strong Twilight | Strong Moon | Weak Moon | Dark Sky |
| Darkness of the sky, ⬤ ⬤ or ⬤ is usually dark enough. | ||||
| Flux | protons*108 / cm2 / s | |||
| < 2.5 | < 5 | < 10 | < 20 | > 20 |
| Amount of Protons passing per second. Available in Premium when expanding a 5-minute slot. |
||||
| Pressure | nano Pascal (nPa) | |||
| < 1 | < 2 | < 4 | < 8 | > 8 |
| Pressure the Solar Wind is exerting on Earth's magnetic field. Available in Premium when expanding a 5-minute slot. |
||||
Reduces accuracy by rounding the provided numbers.
Has full accuracy and adds Clock Arm Length, Clock Angle, Flux and Pressure to the dataset.
Please select the correct timezone on the Location tab. By doing so all times will be shown in the selected (local) timezone. When no selection is made UTC is used and you will have to convert everything yourself.
To more easily see what is happening right now, the current moment is highlighted in purple.
Abnormal Solar Wind arrival times are marked in blue. This can happen if the Solar Wind speed varies within a relatively short amount of time, causing it to overtake what has already passed previously.
Rows that are semi-transparent contain incomplete measurements. Not all required data has arrived yet and the information is likely to still change.
When looking for Aurora's there are three types of information you will need to be aware of and combine to increase your chances:
Learning to combine all three different information types will help you better understand how each type interacts with the others and gives you the ability to make a better estimate of what to expect.
A forecast is an indication of what might happen but it has a high degree of inaccuracy. Think of long-term weather or 27-day Kp forecasts. Most of these are based on sophisticated computer models and will be re-evaluated a certain number of times per day. Each time the information that is being put into these models will be slightly different with possibly vastly different outcomes as a result.
The further away in time the less accurate they become. Expect frequent changes.
This information comes from direct observations from a distance. Think of satellite images of the cloud cover or satellite measurements of the current Solar Wind characteristics.
The time it takes before the remotely observed events reach you is relatively short and the chance of something changing drastically is limited. Making it more reliable than forecasts.
Remote observations will also enable you to verify the accuracy of forecasts.
Last but not least are your own observations in the field. Does the cloud cover match the forecast? In which direction are they moving and does this match your expectations from looking at satellite images? Does the Aurora activity match what you were expecting based on the Kp forecast or the nowcast information?
AuroraScout.comOur main website with additional information.
Aurora Scout Desktop AppDesktop version of this app.
SpaceWeather.comUpdates daily and always has very interesting news items.
Wikipedia - SunGreat place to start reading about the source of it all.
Aurora Forecast 3DVisualizes the auroral oval in a 3D environment that can really help you understand the scope and interaction better (Desktop / Android / iOS).
Clear Outside7-day hourly cloud & weather forecasts. Designed by astronomers for astronomers.
StellariumFor figuring out which star is which.
Time&Date - MoonCheck the amount of moonlight ahead of time.
Topo GPSHigh quality topographic maps and navigation in the field.
The Photographer's EphemerisChecking and planning locations.
VentuskyGlobal weather maps, including cloud covers.
Windy.comGlobal weather maps, including cloud covers.
How Northern Lights are formedBy the University of Oslo.
NOAA.govBig thanks to NOAA and NASA for making their satellite data and images available (HMIIC, 0193, ENLIL, Ovation).
SOHOCorona Graph Images are courtesy of SOHO/LASCO consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.
chartjs.orgUsing chartjs.org components (released under the MIT License) for creating charts.
Preparation is everything in your search for Northern Lights.
Whether you have never seen the Aurora or are a seasoned expert, one thing is for sure: Northern Lights will never get off your bucket list! Once you experience their magic you will want to spend more nights outside in search of this spectacular ever changing natural phenomenon.
See this app as the Swiss army knife for Northern Lights hunting. It tries to bundle as much relevant information as possible while keeping the interface compact and dark enough to use under extreme conditions. The last thing you want to do is take your gloves off at -40° in order to scroll back and forth through large amounts of data or lose your night vision because your screen lights up like a Christmas tree.
The app is intended for anyone interested in catching a good display and serves beginners, experienced enthusiasts as well as professional guides.
The application is provided "as is" and no claims can be made in relation to using it or the information provided.
Please be aware of the environment you are in while searching for the Northern Lights. Nature can be both beautiful and relentless, especially in winter, so please tread carefully and do not take unnecessary risks!
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By using the Location tab you will load third party components from Mapbox (please find their privacy policy here).
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