AuroraMeteo

Bremen, GermanyMagnetic latitude 49.9°Population 118,6102 m above sea level

Can you see the northern lights in Bremerhaven?

From Bremerhaven the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 6.3 or more), usually as a glow low in the north. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does. Since 1995 that level (Kp 6.3) was reached during darkness here on 162 nights.

Right now

Quiet right now (Kp 1.7).

Kp 1.7 · 446 km/s · Bz -2.1

Updates every minute while this page is open.

Tonight in one minute

Not tonight

  • Solar activity Too weak: Kp 2.7 expected, 6.3 needed here.
  • Sky Overcast (90% cloud).
  • Darkness Dark from 19:42 to 06:40.

What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.

Tonight

Updated 20:49 local time

0/100

Unlikely

Best around 20:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 6.3), average cloud 90%.

Dark enough
19:42 – 06:40
Sunset
18:27 · sunrise 07:56
Moon
33% · ↑ 15:26 · ↓ 20:56
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
Kp 6.3
Kp for photos
In photos: from Kp 4.7 (a red glow low in the north).
Look towards
north (358°)
Sat 17 Oct0Kp 1.7 · cloud 84%
Sun 18 Oct0Kp 1.7 · cloud 90%
Sat 17061218Sun 18061218Mon 19061218
Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology

Seeing it right now?

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What you would see from Bremerhaven

Facing north. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.

10°20°30°45° Kp 8.3 · overheadKp 6.3 · 11°–22° WNW 298° NW 313° NNW 328° NNW 343° N 358° NNE 13° NNE 28° NE 43° ENE 58°
Computed from the auroral oval position for each Kp level (lower border ~105 km, ray tops ~200 km up). Terrain not modelled for this place; the horizon is drawn flat.
KpWhat you seeLower edgeRay topsDistance to the aurora
2 Below the horizon -2° 2° 1,401 km
3 Below the horizon 0° 4° 1,179 km
4 Below the horizon 2° 7° 956 km
5 Faint glow, mostly on camera 5° 12° 734 km
6 Faint glow, mostly on camera 9° 19° 512 km
7 Visible to the north 19° 33° 289 km
8 Visible to the north 57° 71° 67 km
9 Overhead and all around – – –
Angles above the horizon. Terrain in the look direction is taken into account where modelled.

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.

  1. Kp 0–2 Quiet Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
  2. Kp 3 Unsettled next 24 h Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
  3. Kp 4 Active Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
  4. Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) camera in Bremerhaven Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
  5. Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) eye in Bremerhaven Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
  6. Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
  7. 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.
  8. 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 Bremerhaven

Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.

Activity of Kp 6.3 or more is too rare here for monthly odds to be meaningful. The table still shows how often nights are clear and dark.

0%10% July: 0% Jul August: 1% Aug September: 1% Sept October: 0% Oct November: 0% Nov December: 0% Dec January: 0% Jan February: 0% Feb March: 0% Mar April: 0% Apr May: 0% May June: 0% Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
MonthGood nightsClear nightsDarknessLow / high
September 0.5% 38% 8.5 h 13° / 18°C
October 0.2% 27% 10.8 h 10° / 14°C
November 0% 15% 12.5 h 6° / 9°C
December 0% 8% 13.4 h 3° / 5°C
January 0.2% 11% 12.9 h 1° / 4°C
February 0% 17% 11.4 h 1° / 4°C
March 0% 32% 9.5 h 3° / 7°C
April 0.3% 52% 7.0 h 5° / 11°C
Good night = darkness + activity at this place's Kp level + night-time satellite cloud ≤ 70%. GFZ Kp, NASA POWER (CERES), 1° grid. Methodology

Aurora nights in Bremerhaven since 1995

Nights when Kp reached 6.3 or more while it was dark here.

2012: 71272013: 21322014: 11412015: 61562016: 31632017: 51752021: 12112022: 12212023: 52352024: 1024102025: 1525152026: 5265
Per year, last 12 years. Cloud cover not included. Source: GFZ Kp.

Most recent strong nights

Practical information

Nearest airport
Sea-Airport Cuxhaven/Nordholz / Nordholz Naval Airbase (FCN) · 24 km
Bremen Airport (BRE) · 58 km
Typical low / high in August
16° / 20°C
What to wear
Cool nights: layers, a windproof jacket, hat and gloves for standing still outside. Full clothing guide
Emergency number
112
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
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.
Weather service
Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)

Questions and answers

What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Bremerhaven?

From Bremerhaven the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 6.3 or more), usually as a glow low in the north. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does.

Which way should I look for the aurora in Bremerhaven?

Face north (about 358° from true north). At Kp 6.3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 19° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

When is the aurora season in Bremerhaven?

Bremerhaven 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 Bremerhaven?

Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference.

When was the aurora last possible in Bremerhaven?

The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Bremerhaven needs, during darkness, was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0). It has happened on 162 nights since 1995.

Also covered by this forecast

Villages and districts around Bremerhaven share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.