China518 places
Northern Lights in China: Where and When to See Them
In China the aurora appears only during geomagnetic storms, low on the horizon. The best chances are near Daxing’anling, from about Kp 7.3.
Can you see the northern lights in China tonight?
Not tonight: activity is too low for China. The forecast peaks at Kp 2.7, but you need about Kp 7.3 near Daxing’anling. A storm can build within a day, so check again tomorrow.
You also need a clear sky and real darkness: each town's page shows its cloud forecast and best hour tonight.
Where the aurora is visible tonight 3-day Kp forecast
Kp forecast: NOAA SWPC, checked every 10 minutes.
Where the aurora is easiest to see
| Place | Region | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Magnetic latitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohe | Heilongjiang | 7 | 5.3 | 48.3° |
| Daxing’anling | Heilongjiang | 7.3 | 5.7 | 47.5° |
| Tahe Town | Heilongjiang | 7.3 | 5.7 | 47.5° |
| Genhe | Inner Mongolia | 8 | 6.3 | 46.1° |
| Jiagedaqi | Inner Mongolia | 8.3 | 6.7 | 45.6° |
| Oroqen Zizhiqi | Inner Mongolia | 8.3 | 6.7 | 45.8° |
| Ergun City | Inner Mongolia | 8.3 | 6.7 | 45.6° |
| Heihe | Heilongjiang | 8.7 | 7 | 45.2° |
Largest cities
Storm watch: can you see the northern lights from China?
Rarely, but yes. In strong storms (about Kp 5.3 or more) the red upper layer of the aurora, 300–400 km up, rises above the northern horizon of China. Phone and camera sensors pick it up far more easily than the eye.
…
| Place | Kp for photos | Kp for the eye | Photo nights since 1995 | Last time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohe | 5.3 | 7 | 409 | Oct 2026 |
| Daxing’anling | 5.7 | 7.3 | 280 | Oct 2026 |
| Tahe Town | 5.7 | 7.3 | 280 | Oct 2026 |
| Genhe | 6.3 | 8 | 149 | Oct 2026 |
| Jiagedaqi District | 6.7 | 8.3 | 103 | Oct 2026 |
| Oroqen Zizhiqi | 6.7 | 8.3 | 103 | Oct 2026 |
| Ergun City | 6.7 | 8.3 | 104 | Oct 2026 |
| Heihe | 7 | 8.7 | 75 | Oct 2026 |
| Aihun | 7 | 8.7 | 75 | Oct 2026 |
| Jalainur District | 7 | 8.7 | 77 | Oct 2026 |
| Manzhouli | 7 | 8.7 | 77 | Oct 2026 |
| Hulunbuir | 7.3 | 9 | 56 | Oct 2026 |
When it was last seen from China
Nights with enough activity for photos from Mohe during darkness (Kp 5.3 or more):
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.3
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 18 August 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 8 August 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 2 August 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 4 July 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 5 June 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 15 May 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 3 April 2026 · Kp 6.3
- 2 April 2026 · Kp 6.0
How to catch it from China
- Watch the forecast: you need about Kp 5.3 or more — a strong to severe storm. These arrive a day or two after a big eruption on the Sun, so there is usually some warning.
- Get away from city lights and find an open view to the north: a coast, a hill or a field. The glow sits low over the horizon.
- Use your phone's night mode or a camera on a tripod (3–15 s). Check the photo: a red or pink sky to the north is the aurora.
- The best hours are usually 22:00–02:00 local time, but in big storms it can start right after dusk.
- 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 Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) camera in Mohe 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) eye in Mohe 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).
Live sightings
Where visitors are reporting the aurora right now. A place climbs with every report and drops again as the reports age.
- …
Latest reports
Regions of China
- GuangdongKp for photos 9+ · 10
- ShandongKp for photos 9+ · 7
- JiangsuKp for photos 9+ · 9
- ShanghaiKp for photos 9+ · 4
- LiaoningKp for photos 7.3 · 32
- ZhejiangKp for photos 9+ · 5
- SichuanKp for photos 9+ · 2
- ChongqingKp for photos 9+ · 1
- HeilongjiangKp 7+ · 65
- AnhuiKp for photos 9+ · 2
- HubeiKp for photos 9+ · 2
- Beijing ShiKp for photos 8.3 · 5
- HenanKp for photos 9+ · 1
- HebeiKp for photos 8 · 11
- ShaanxiKp for photos 9 · 1
- ShanxiKp for photos 8.3 · 6
- Inner MongoliaKp 8+ · 26
- TianjinKp for photos 8.7 · 3
- FujianKp for photos 9+ · 2
- JilinKp for photos 7.3 · 22
- GuangxiKp for photos 9+ · 1
- NingxiaKp for photos 8.7 · 5
- XinjiangKp 8.7+ · 34
- HunanKp for photos 9+ · 1
- GansuKp for photos 8 · 7
- GuizhouKp for photos 9+ · 2
- JiangxiKp for photos 9+ · 1
- YunnanKp for photos 9+ · 1
- HainanKp for photos 9+ · 1
- QinghaiKp for photos 9+ · 1
Questions and answers
Can you see the northern lights in China?
In China the aurora appears only during geomagnetic storms, low on the horizon. The best chances are near Daxing’anling, from about Kp 7.3.
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in China?
Near Daxing’anling about Kp 7.3 is enough. In Shanghai, the largest city, you need about Kp 9+.
When was the aurora last visible in China?
The most recent night in our data with enough activity for Daxing’anling during darkness was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.3). That has happened on 55 nights since 1995.