Magellan and the Chilean Antarctic Region, ChileMagnetic latitude 40.1°Population 117,430
Can you see the southern lights in Punta Arenas?
From Punta Arenas the aurora is too low for the naked eye except in the most extreme storms, but in severe storms (about Kp 7.3 or more) cameras record a red glow low in the south. Strong enough for photos on 54 nights since 1995 — most recently on 19 January 2026.
Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 21:59.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Too weak: Kp 4 expected, 7.3 needed here.
- Sky Mostly clear (0% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 21:59 to 04:56. A bright moon (79%) washes out faint displays.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
Wednesday 21 October — No · Kp 4 · Forecast cloud: 0%. · Reliability: good
Each box is one night: the colour shows the chance, the number the expected Kp. Tap a night for details.
📅 Add these nights to your calendar — it updates itself (.ics)
How far ahead can the northern lights be forecast?
- Minutes to an hour: satellites 1.5 million km away measure the solar wind before it reaches Earth. This is the surest warning — the “Right now” box uses it.
- 1–3 days: when the Sun throws out a cloud of particles, it takes one to three days to arrive. NOAA's 3-hourly forecast covers these nights; the timing can still be off by a few hours.
- 4–27 days: the Sun turns once every 27 days, and regions that disturbed Earth's field last time often do it again. NOAA's 27-day outlook gives this rough trend — new eruptions are not in it yet.
Tonight
Updated 17:56 local time
Unlikely
Best around 21:00. Forecast max Kp 4.0 (this place needs 9+), average cloud 0%.
- Dark enough
- 21:59 – 04:56
- Sunset
- 20:34 · sunrise 06:21
- Moon
- 79% · ↑ 15:07 · ↓ 05:01
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 9+
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 7.3 (a red glow low in the south).
- Look towards
- south (174°)
Cloud layers and weather
Low cloud blocks the aurora completely. Thin high cloud often still lets a bright aurora shine through, so a sky with only high cloud is worth a look.
| Time | Wed, 22 | Thu, 01 | Thu, 04 | Fri, 00 | Fri, 03 | Fri, 23 | Sat, 02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low cloud | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Mid cloud | 0% | 0% | 0% | 61% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| High cloud | 0% | 0% | 0% | 48% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Temperature | 6 °C | 4 °C | 4 °C | 6 °C | 5 °C | 8 °C | 7 °C |
| Feels like | 6 °C | 4 °C | 4 °C | 4 °C | 4 °C | 8 °C | 7 °C |
| Wind | 1 m/s | 1 m/s | 1 m/s | 2 m/s | 2 m/s | 1 m/s | 0 m/s |
Cloud layers and weather: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Tonight's cloud forecast is similar in every direction within 100 km (0% here), so driving is unlikely to help.
MET Norway forecast at 24 points within 100 km, averaged over the dark hours. Check roads and conditions before driving.
Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology
Weather in Punta Arenas
The aurora only shows through clear skies, so the weather matters as much as the Kp index. Here is the general forecast for Punta Arenas: temperature, wind and the chance of rain for the coming days.
Planning further ahead? See the hour-by-hour weather forecast for Punta Arenas on Atlas of Seasons.
Seeing it right now?
Tell others in Magellan and the Chilean Antarctic Region. Reports from real visitors move a place up the live ranking.
Reports are anonymous: we do not store your IP address or location. One report per place every few hours.
Live webcams near Punta Arenas
Check the sky for yourself: public cameras within 300 km. They open on the camera owner's website.
- Punta Arenas ↗ Open the live camera (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Ushuaia ↗ Open the live camera (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Torres del Paine, Patagonia ↗ Open the live camera (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Tolhuin, Tierra del Fuego ↗ Open the live camera (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Puerto Williams ↗ Open the live camera (opens in a new tab) Scenic
These cameras belong to their owners — we only link to them. Most show little in daylight or under cloud, and some pause in summer.
What you would see from Punta Arenas
Facing south. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.
| Kp | What you see | Lower edge | Ray tops | Distance to the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Below the horizon | -9° | -7° | 2,491 km |
| 3 | Below the horizon | -8° | -5° | 2,268 km |
| 4 | Below the horizon | -6° | -4° | 2,046 km |
| 5 | Below the horizon | -5° | -2° | 1,824 km |
| 6 | Below the horizon | -3° | 0° | 1,601 km |
| 7 | Below the horizon | -2° | 2° | 1,379 km |
| 8 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 0° | 4° | 1,156 km |
| 9 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 2° | 8° | 934 km |
The Kp scale in plain words
Kp is a 0–9 score for how strongly the Earth's magnetic field is being shaken by the solar wind. The higher it goes, the further from the poles the northern lights reach. Kp 0–2 is a quiet night; Kp 5 and above is a geomagnetic storm.
- Kp 0–2 Quiet Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
- Kp 4 Active next 24 h Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
- Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) camera in Punta Arenas Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
- Kp 8 Severe storm (G4) Central Europe to the eye; red sky in photos from northern Italy, Spain, the Balkans and Turkey's Black Sea coast.
- Kp 9 Extreme storm (G5) Seen across Europe and the US; in photos as far south as the Mediterranean, Turkey and North Africa (May 2024).
Light pollution
Suburban sky. Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference.
Estimate from NASA VIIRS night-light data (sky-glow model within 50 km). Check access and private land before you go.
Hills and mountains
Terrain is not modelled for this place.
From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.
Best months to see the aurora in Punta Arenas
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
Activity of Kp 9+ or more is too rare here for monthly odds to be meaningful. The table still shows how often nights are clear and dark.
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 0% | 45% | 8.9 h | 5° / 11°C |
| April | 0% | 50% | 10.9 h | 4° / 8°C |
| May | 0% | 51% | 12.5 h | 2° / 6°C |
| June | 0% | 54% | 13.3 h | 0° / 4°C |
| July | 0% | 52% | 13.0 h | 0° / 3°C |
| August | 0% | 52% | 11.6 h | 0° / 4°C |
| September | 0% | 52% | 9.6 h | 1° / 7°C |
| October | 0% | 47% | 7.4 h | 3° / 9°C |
Nights when Punta Arenas could catch it in photos
Since 1995, nights with Kp 7.3 or more while it was dark here — a red or green glow low on the horizon.
- 19 January 2026 · Kp 7.3
- 12 November 2025 · Kp 7.3
- 11 November 2025 · Kp 8.7
- 31 May 2025 · Kp 7.7
- 10 October 2024 · Kp 8.3
- 16 September 2024 · Kp 7.3
- 11 May 2024 · Kp 7.7
- 10 May 2024 · Kp 9.0
- 23 April 2023 · Kp 8.0
- 23 March 2023 · Kp 8.0
- 25 August 2018 · Kp 7.3
- 7 September 2017 · Kp 8.0
Where to watch near Punta Arenas
-
Fuerte Bulnes
Historic fort on a headland south of the city with clear views over the Strait of Magellan and no city lights. · about 58 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Puerto del Hambre
Bay beside Fuerte Bulnes at the end of the southern coast road, dark and open to the sky. · about 56 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Costanera del Estrecho (southern section)
Waterfront avenue in the city; usable only for bright displays because of urban light. · about 2 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Although this is a very high southern latitude, the south magnetic pole is offset towards Australia and New Zealand, so naked-eye aurora here is rare and usually needs a strong geomagnetic storm (as in May and October 2024).
- Aurora was photographed over Punta Arenas in May and October 2024; the October display was faint and mainly captured by cameras.
- Low light pollution and clear skies are essential, so drive south along the Strait of Magellan away from the city.
- Strong winds are common; use a sturdy tripod and shelter behind your vehicle.
- Follow NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center and Red Geocientífica de Chile updates during storms.
Fuerte Bulnes is part of the Parque del Estrecho de Magallanes and has set opening hours; check before going after dark.
Coastal roads south of the city can be icy and very windy in winter; drive with care after dark.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- President Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) · 18 km
- Typical low / high in January
- 6° / 13°C
- What to wear
- Cool nights: layers, a windproof jacket, hat and gloves for standing still outside. Full clothing guide
- Emergency number
- 131 ambulance (SAMU), 132 fire (Bomberos), 133 Carabineros; 136 Socorro Andino (mountain rescue)
- Winter driving
- MOP's Dirección de Vialidad runs a winter operations plan (coordinated with Argentina from Antofagasta to Magallanes) for snow clearance on routes and border passes; check Vialidad for closures and any chain requirements. Road conditions
- Access to land
- Torres del Paine and other Magallanes protected areas are managed by CONAF; check park opening rules before planning night stops.
- Weather service
- Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (DMC)
Questions and answers
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Punta Arenas?
From Punta Arenas the aurora is too low for the naked eye except in the most extreme storms, but in severe storms (about Kp 7.3 or more) cameras record a red glow low in the south.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Punta Arenas?
Around Punta Arenas the aurora is often right overhead. Start by facing south, but look up and all around — in strong storms it can fill the whole sky and even appear behind you.
When is the aurora season in Punta Arenas?
Punta Arenas gets dark enough for the aurora all year round, though the long winter nights give the most hours to watch.
Is there much light pollution in Punta Arenas?
Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Punta Arenas share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Caserío Río Los Ciervos 4 km
- Leñadura 6 km
- Tres Puentes 9 km
- Caserío Río Seco 12 km
- Chabunco 16 km
- Lugar Vega El Valle 21 km
- Asentamiento Cabo Negro 26 km
- Lugar La Cabaña 28 km
- Cien Águilas 29 km
- Provincia de Magallanes 30 km
- Villa Kon Aiken 30 km
- Punta Hook 34 km
- Alto de Agua Fresca 38 km
- Marcela 40 km