About

About us

We built this site to answer one question quickly and honestly: can I see the northern lights tonight? Space weather data is public, but most of it is hard to read. We turn it into plain answers for your city, and we explain how far to trust them.

What you will find here

  • Northern lights forecastTonight’s verdict, best window, cloud, Moon and darkness for your city, with live NOAA data.Check tonight
  • 3-day forecastThe next three nights, the best night to go out, and a 72-hour Kp chart.See the next three nights
  • Solar flare monitorThe Sun’s live flare class, the 6-hour chart and NOAA’s flare chances.Check the Sun
  • GuidesWhat Kp you need, how to photograph the aurora, and how the science works.Read the guides

How it works

  1. We take public space weather data from NOAA, including the Kp index forecast, aurora probability, solar wind and X-ray flux.
  2. We add your city’s cloud cover, sunrise and sunset, and the Moon.
  3. We estimate the Kp your location needs from its geomagnetic latitude.
  4. We combine these into a plain-language verdict, a best window and a timeline.

All of this runs automatically in your browser. No person writes the forecast for a given night, and each tool explains what it uses.

Our approach: plain language and honesty about uncertainty

Aurora forecasting is uncertain, and we try to say so. We label estimates as estimates, mark later nights as lower confidence, and explain what our numbers can and cannot tell you. A forecast is a guide, not a promise, and we would rather you know the limits than be disappointed on a cold night.

Where our data comes from

  • NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center for the Kp index, aurora maps and probabilities, solar wind and solar flare data.
  • OpenWeather and Open-Meteo for weather, sunrise and sunset, and cloud cover.
  • OpenStreetMap for finding your city.

We are an independent site. We are not part of NOAA, NASA or any other agency, and we do not speak for them. For official space weather warnings, go to the source.

How we work

Our editorial policy explains how we research, check and correct our articles, including how we use AI tools. Our privacy policy explains what happens to your location when you use the tools. In short, we do not need an account or your email, and your chosen location stays in your own browser.

Get in touch

Spotted an error, found a bug or have an idea? We would like to hear from you. Visit our contact page or write to northernlightsdata@gmail.com.