Kazakhstan1 places
Northern Lights in Astana Qalasy, Kazakhstan
In Astana Qalasy the aurora is visible from about Kp 7, first near Astana. Astana has the darkest skies among the larger places.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astana | 7 | 5.3 | N | City sky | 1,544,142 |
Best months in Astana Qalasy
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
September has been the best month (0.6% of nights), followed by April (0.3%).
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 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 Astana 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 Astana 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).