Norway13 places
Northern Lights in Finnmark, Norway
In Finnmark the aurora is visible from about Kp 0, first near Alta. Kirkenes has the darkest skies among the larger places.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta | 0 | 0 | N | City sky | 15,094 |
| Hammerfest | 0 | 0 | N | Suburban sky | 11,448 |
| Vadsø | 0 | 0 | N | City sky | 4,654 |
| Kirkenes | 0 | 0 | N | Rural to suburban | 3,529 |
| Bjørnevatn | 0 | 0 | N | Rural to suburban | 2,536 |
| Honningsvåg | 0 | 0 | N | Bright suburban sky | 2,484 |
| Lakselv | 0 | 0 | N | Bright suburban sky | 2,283 |
| Båtsfjord | 0 | 0 | N | Rural to suburban | 2,166 |
| Kautokeino | 0 | 0 | N | Rural to suburban | 2,000 |
| Vardø | 0 | 0 | N | Rural to suburban | 1,875 |
| Karasjok | 0 | 0 | N | City sky | 1,844 |
| Rypefjord | 0 | 0 | N | Rural to suburban | 1,731 |
| Ávanuorri | 0 | 0 | N | Rural to suburban | 1,138 |
Best months in Finnmark
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
September has been the best month (23% of nights), followed by January (19%).
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
- Kp 0–2 Quiet eye in Alta 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) 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 353 villages and districts nearby.