Ireland33 places
Northern Lights in Ulster, Ireland
In Ulster the aurora is visible from about Kp 5, first near Letterkenny. Gweedore has the darkest skies among the larger places.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letterkenny | 5 | 3.3 | N | City sky | 22,549 |
| Buncrana | 5 | 3.3 | N | City sky | 6,785 |
| Gweedore | 5 | 3.3 | N | Pristine dark sky | 4,200 |
| Ballybofey | 5.3 | 3.7 | N | Dark rural sky | 4,852 |
| Leifear | 5.3 | 3.7 | N | Dark rural sky | 1,613 |
| Cavan | 5.7 | 4 | N | Bright suburban sky | 11,741 |
| Monaghan | 5.7 | 4 | N | Bright suburban sky | 7,894 |
| Carrickmacross | 5.7 | 4 | N | Bright suburban sky | 5,032 |
| Castleblayney | 5.7 | 4 | N | Dark rural sky | 3,607 |
| Dún Lúiche | 6 | 4.3 | N | Pristine dark sky | 3,400 |
Best months in Ulster
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
April has been the best month (2% of nights), followed by March (2%).
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
- Kp 0–2 Quiet Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled camera in Letterkenny 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) eye in Letterkenny 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).
The town pages in this region also cover 303 villages and districts nearby.
Smaller places
- BailieboroughKp 5.7
- BallybayKp 5.7
- BallyconnellKp 5.7
- BallyjamesduffKp 5.7
- BallyshannonKp 5.3
- BelturbetKp 5.7
- BundoranKp 5.3
- CarndonaghKp 5
- ClonesKp 5.7
- ConvoyKp 5.3
- CootehillKp 5.7
- DerrybegKp 5
- DonegalKp 5.3
- DungloeKp 5
- KillybegsKp 5.3
- KingscourtKp 5.7
- MovilleKp 5
- MuffKp 5
- MullaghKp 6
- Newtown CunninghamKp 5
- RameltonKp 5
- RaphoeKp 5.3
- VirginiaKp 5.7