AuroraMeteo

Schleswig-Holstein, GermanyMagnetic latitude 51.3°Population 2,32316 m above sea level

Can you see the northern lights in Schafflund?

From Schafflund the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.7 or more), usually as a glow low in the north. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does. Since 1995 that level (Kp 5.7) was reached during darkness here on 331 nights.

Right now

Quiet right now (Kp 1.7).

Kp 1.7 · 447 km/s · Bz -1.0

Updates every minute while this page is open.

Tonight in one minute

Not tonight

  • Solar activity Too weak: Kp 2.7 expected, 5.7 needed here.
  • Sky Partly cloudy (74% cloud) — look for gaps.
  • Darkness Dark from 19:40 to 06:37.

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

Tonight

Updated 21:13 local time

0/100

Unlikely

Best around 21:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 5.7), average cloud 74%.

Dark enough
19:40 – 06:37
Sunset
18:22 · sunrise 07:56
Moon
33% · ↑ 15:34 · ↓ 20:42
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
Kp 5.7
Kp for photos
In photos: from Kp 4 (a red glow low in the north).
Look towards
north (358°)
Sat 17 Oct0Kp 1.7 · cloud 88%
Sun 18 Oct0Kp 1.7 · cloud 97%
Sat 17061218Sun 18061218Mon 19061218
Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

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

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What you would see from Schafflund

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

10°20°30°45° Kp 7.7 · overheadKp 5.7 · 12°–23° 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). Horizon from elevation data out to 30 km.
KpWhat you seeLower edgeRay topsDistance to the aurora
2 Below the horizon -1° 3° 1,245 km
3 Below the horizon 1° 6° 1,023 km
4 Faint glow, mostly on camera 4° 10° 801 km
5 Faint glow, mostly on camera 8° 16° 578 km
6 Visible to the north 15° 27° 356 km
7 Visible to the north 37° 55° 133 km
8 Overhead and all around – – –
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 camera in Schafflund Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
  4. Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
  5. Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) eye in Schafflund 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

Pristine dark sky. Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.

Estimate from NASA VIIRS night-light data (sky-glow model within 50 km). Check access and private land before you go.

Hills and mountains

The horizon towards the north is open (terrain below 0.2°), so low aurora is not blocked.

From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.

Best months to see the aurora in Schafflund

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

September has been the best month (3% of nights), followed by March (2%).

0%10% July: 0% Jul August: 1% Aug September: 3% Sept October: 1% Oct November: 1% Nov December: 0% Dec January: 1% Jan February: 1% Feb March: 2% Mar April: 1% Apr May: 1% May – Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
MonthGood nightsClear nightsDarknessLow / high
September 3% 58% 8.4 h 13° / 18°C
October 1% 40% 10.8 h 9° / 13°C
November 0.8% 37% 12.6 h 6° / 9°C
December 0% 25% 13.6 h 3° / 5°C
January 0.5% 28% 13.1 h 1° / 4°C
February 0.8% 28% 11.4 h 1° / 4°C
March 2% 50% 9.5 h 2° / 6°C
April 0.8% 63% 6.6 h 5° / 10°C
Good night = darkness + activity at this place's Kp level + night-time satellite cloud ≤ 70%. GFZ Kp, NASA POWER (CERES), 1° grid. Methodology
8%chance of ≥1 good night in 3 nights (September)
13%chance of ≥1 good night in 5 nights (September)
17%chance of ≥1 good night in 7 nights (September)

Darkness through the year

Aurora nights in Schafflund since 1995

Nights when Kp reached 5.7 or more while it was dark here.

2013: 51352014: 31432015: 1215122016: 1116112017: 91792018: 31832021: 32132022: 62262023: 1123112024: 1524152025: 2325232026: 112611
Per year, last 12 years. Cloud cover not included. Source: GFZ Kp.

Most recent strong nights

Practical information

Nearest airport
Sønderborg Airport (SGD) · 45 km
Odense Hans Christian Andersen Airport (ODE) · 108 km
Typical low / high in September
13° / 18°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 Schafflund?

From Schafflund the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.7 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 Schafflund?

Face north (about 358° from true north). At Kp 5.7 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 15° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

What is the best month to see the aurora in Schafflund?

Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Schafflund (3% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by March (2%).

When is the aurora season in Schafflund?

From 5 June to 8 July the sky in Schafflund never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.

Is there much light pollution in Schafflund?

Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.

When was the aurora last possible in Schafflund?

The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Schafflund needs, during darkness, was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0). It has happened on 331 nights since 1995.

Also covered by this forecast

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