Germany2,046 places
Northern Lights in Germany: Where and When to See Them
In Germany the aurora appears only during geomagnetic storms, low on the horizon. The best chances are near Flensburg, from about Kp 5.7. Near Flensburg, September has historically been the best month (3% of nights).
Can you see the northern lights in Germany tonight?
Not tonight: activity is too low for Germany. The forecast peaks at Kp 2.7, but you need about Kp 5.7 near Flensburg. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westerland | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.3 | 3.7 | 51.5° |
| Kiel | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.7 | 4 | 50.8° |
| Flensburg | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.7 | 4 | 51.3° |
| Stralsund | Mecklenburg | 5.7 | 4 | 50.8° |
| Rendsburg | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.7 | 4 | 50.8° |
| Schleswig | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.7 | 4 | 51.0° |
| Eckernförde | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.7 | 4 | 51.0° |
| Husum | Schleswig-Holstein | 5.7 | 4 | 51.0° |
Largest cities
Storm watch: can you see the northern lights from Germany?
Rarely, but yes. In strong storms (about Kp 3.7 or more) the red upper layer of the aurora, 300–400 km up, rises above the northern horizon of Germany. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westerland | 3.7 | 5.3 | 985 | Oct 2026 |
| Kiel | 4 | 5.7 | 994 | Oct 2026 |
| Flensburg | 4 | 5.7 | 990 | Oct 2026 |
| Stralsund | 4 | 5.7 | 991 | Oct 2026 |
| Rendsburg | 4 | 5.7 | 996 | Oct 2026 |
| Schleswig | 4 | 5.7 | 993 | Oct 2026 |
| Eckernförde | 4 | 5.7 | 993 | Oct 2026 |
| Husum | 4 | 5.7 | 995 | Oct 2026 |
| Bergen auf Rügen | 4 | 5.7 | 988 | Oct 2026 |
| Fehmarn | 4 | 5.7 | 992 | Oct 2026 |
| Kronshagen | 4 | 5.7 | 994 | Oct 2026 |
| Harrislee | 4 | 5.7 | 990 | Oct 2026 |
When it was last seen from Germany
Nights with enough activity for photos from Westerland during darkness (Kp 4.7 or more):
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 7 September 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 5 June 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 15 May 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 4 May 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 30 April 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 20 April 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 18 April 2026 · Kp 4.7
- 3 April 2026 · Kp 5.7
How to catch it from Germany
- Watch the forecast: you need about Kp 3.7 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 camera in Westerland Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) eye in Westerland 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) 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 Germany
- North Rhine-WestphaliaKp 7+ · 179
- Baden-WürttembergKp 8.3+ · 76
- BavariaKp 8+ · 45
- Lower SaxonyKp 6+ · 61
- HesseKp 7.3+ · 41
- BerlinKp 7+ · 1
- SaxonyKp 7.3+ · 18
- Schleswig-HolsteinKp 5.3+ · 46
- HamburgKp 6+ · 1
- Rhineland-PalatinateKp 8+ · 18
- BrandenburgKp 6.3+ · 18
- Saxony-AnhaltKp 6.7+ · 17
- ThuringiaKp 7.3+ · 13
- MecklenburgKp 5.7+ · 17
- SaarlandKp 8.7+ · 8
- BremenKp 6.3+ · 2
Practical information for Germany
- Emergency number
- 112
- Access to land
- Under § 59 BNatSchG everyone may enter open countryside on roads, paths and unused land for recreation (forests under the federal/state forest acts); state laws usually exclude parking vehicles and camping from this right, and nature reserves/national parks may restrict access or path use.
- Winter driving
- Germany has a situational winter tyre rule (§ 2 Abs. 3a StVO): in black ice, snow, slush or frost only tyres with the Alpine (3PMSF) symbol are allowed — M+S-only tyres no longer qualify since 1 Oct 2024; there is no fixed calendar period. Motorway traffic info: Autobahn GmbH (autobahn.de). Road conditions
- Drones
- Germany applies the EU EASA drone framework (operator registration with the LBA required for drones of 250 g or more or with a camera); national authority: Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, https://www.lba.de.
- Weather service
- Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)
- Certified dark-sky places
- Pellworm (Sterneninsel) · Spiekeroog (Sterneninsel) · Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide Nature Park · Kyritz-Ruppiner Heide · Westhavelland Nature Park · Eifel National Park
Other DarkSky-certified places in Germany (southern): Rhön Biosphere Reserve (Reserve), Winklmoosalm (Park), Eiweiler/Nohfelden (Community).
Kyritz-Ruppiner Heide: parts of the heath remain closed due to historic munitions contamination; stay in accessible areas.
Compiled from official government, road-authority and weather-service sources. Rules change; check them before you travel.
Questions and answers
Can you see the northern lights in Germany?
In Germany the aurora appears only during geomagnetic storms, low on the horizon. The best chances are near Flensburg, from about Kp 5.7.
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Germany?
Near Flensburg about Kp 5.7 is enough. In Berlin, the largest city, you need about Kp 7.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Germany?
Near Flensburg, September has historically been the best month (3% of nights were clear, dark and active enough), followed by March (2%).
When was the aurora last visible in Germany?
The most recent night in our data with enough activity for Flensburg during darkness was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0). That has happened on 330 nights since 1995.