AuroraMeteo

Dobele Municipality, LatviaMagnetic latitude 53.2°Population 3,27344 m above sea level

Northern lights in Tērvete

Tērvete needs an active night: from about Kp 4.7 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows. Since 1995 that level (Kp 4.7) was reached during darkness here on 963 nights.

Right now

Quiet right now (Kp 0.0).

Kp 0.0 · 454 km/s · Bz 0.5

Magnetometer at Tartu (270 km away): low magnetic activity.

Updates every minute while this page is open. Ground data: FMI MIRACLE R-index (CC BY 4.0).

Tonight in one minute

Not tonight

  • Solar activity Enough for a camera: Kp 4 expected, 3 needed for photos, 4.7 for the eye.
  • Sky Overcast (98% cloud).
  • Darkness Dark from 19:41 to 06:42.

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

Tonight

Updated 03:29 local time

2/100

Unlikely

Best around 03:00. Forecast max Kp 4.0 (this place needs 4.7), average cloud 98%.

Dark enough
19:41 – 06:42
Sunset
18:20 · sunrise 08:04
Moon
35% · ↑ 15:52 · ↓ 21:34
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
Kp 4.7
Kp for photos
In photos: from Kp 3 (a red glow low in the north).
Look towards
north (0°)
Sat 17 Oct0Kp 2.0 · cloud 98%
Sun 18 Oct0Kp 1.7 · cloud 61%
Mon 19 Oct1Kp 1.7 · cloud 3%
Sat 17 03 · 2/100 · Kp 4.0 · cloud 94% Mon 19 21 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Mon 19 22 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Mon 19 23 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Tue 20 00 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Tue 20 01 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Tue 20 02 · 1/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% 061218Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 20
Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

Cloud layers and weather

High cloud Mid cloud Low cloud 061218Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 20
Low cloudMid cloudHigh cloud Dark enough

Low cloud blocks the aurora completely. Thin high cloud often still lets a bright aurora shine through, so a sky with only high cloud is worth a look.

Dark hours
TimeSat, 03Sat, 06Sat, 21Sun, 00Sun, 03Sun, 06Sun, 21Mon, 00Mon, 03Mon, 06Mon, 21Tue, 00
Low cloud0%0%0%91%100%100%0%0%0%0%0%0%
Mid cloud2%0%93%71%21%27%0%0%0%0%0%0%
High cloud100%25%99%88%99%4%0%60%77%63%0%0%
Temperature7 °C7 °C9 °C8 °C8 °C9 °C5 °C4 °C3 °C2 °C4 °C3 °C
Feels like4 °C4 °C8 °C7 °C6 °C6 °C3 °C1 °C0 °C-1 °C0 °C-1 °C
Wind3 m/s3 m/s1 m/s1 m/s3 m/s4 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s3 m/s3 m/s
Visibility30 km30 km35 km26 km16 km7.6 km46 km43 km39 km35 km46 km43 km

Cloud layers and weather: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

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

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Preview

What you would see from Tērvete

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

10°20°30°45° Kp 6.7 · overheadKp 4.7 · 11°–22° WNW 300° NW 315° NNW 330° NNW 345° N 0° NNE 15° NNE 30° NE 45° ENE 60°
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° 6° 1,034 km
3 Faint glow, mostly on camera 4° 10° 812 km
4 Faint glow, mostly on camera 7° 16° 589 km
5 Visible to the north 14° 27° 367 km
6 Visible to the north 35° 53° 145 km
7 Overhead and all around – – –
8 Overhead and all around – – –
9 Overhead, and also to the south – – –
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 camera in Tērvete Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
  3. Kp 4 Active next 24 h Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
  4. Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) eye in Tērvete Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
  5. Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) 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 1.4°), 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 Tērvete

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

September has been the best month (6% of nights), followed by March (4%).

0%10% July: 1% Jul August: 3% Aug September: 6% Sept October: 3% Oct November: 2% Nov December: 1% Dec January: 1% Jan February: 2% Feb March: 4% Mar April: 3% Apr May: 3% May – Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
MonthGood nightsClear nightsDarknessLow / high
September 6% 57% 8.4 h 9° / 18°C
October 3% 42% 10.8 h 4° / 11°C
November 2% 21% 12.8 h 0° / 4°C
December 1% 16% 13.6 h -4° / 0°C
January 0.6% 13% 13.3 h -7° / -2°C
February 2% 17% 11.4 h -7° / -1°C
March 4% 32% 9.3 h -4° / 4°C
April 3% 56% 6.5 h 1° / 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
17%chance of ≥1 good night in 3 nights (September)
27%chance of ≥1 good night in 5 nights (September)
35%chance of ≥1 good night in 7 nights (September)

Darkness through the year

Aurora nights in Tērvete since 1995

Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.

2015: 3515352016: 4116412017: 3217322018: 1418142019: 81982020: 32032021: 1521152022: 3422342023: 2723272024: 2624262025: 5925592026: 292629
Per year, last 12 years. Cloud cover not included. Source: GFZ Kp.

Most recent strong nights

Practical information

Nearest airport
Riga International Airport (RIX) · 61 km
Typical low / high in September
9° / 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
Winter tyres are mandatory 1 Dec – 1 Mar for vehicles up to 3.5 t, and since 1 Oct 2024 they must carry the 3PMSF (mountain-snowflake) symbol (M+S only no longer qualifies); studded tyres allowed 1 Oct – 1 May. Road conditions: Latvian State Roads (Latvijas Valsts ceļi) driving-conditions map. Road conditions
Access to land
Latvia has no Nordic-style right to roam: private land may be off-limits without the owner's consent, but state forests managed by LVM (outside protected areas) are open to the public, including overnight stays; nature reserves and strict zones of protected areas are restricted.
Weather service
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVĢMC)

Questions and answers

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

Tērvete needs an active night: from about Kp 4.7 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows.

Which way should I look for the aurora in Tērvete?

Face north (about 0° from true north). At Kp 4.7 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 14° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

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

Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Tērvete (6% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by March (4%).

When is the aurora season in Tērvete?

From 26 May to 18 July the sky in Tērvete never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.

Is there much light pollution in Tērvete?

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

When was the aurora last possible in Tērvete?

The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Tērvete needs, during darkness, was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0). It has happened on 963 nights since 1995.

Also covered by this forecast

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

Nearby places