AuroraMeteo

Podlaskie Voivodeship, PolandMagnetic latitude 50.6°Population 5,872136 m above sea level

Can you see the northern lights in Sejny?

From Sejny the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 6 or more), usually as a glow low in the north. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does. Since 1995 that level (Kp 6) was reached during darkness here on 217 nights.

Right now

Quiet right now (Kp 1.3).

Kp 1.3 · 471 km/s · Bz 5.1

Magnetometer at Tartu (500 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 Too weak: Kp 2.7 expected, 6 needed here.
  • Sky Overcast (96% cloud).
  • Darkness Dark from 18:41 to 05:42.

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

Tonight

Updated 21:35 local time

0/100

Unlikely

Best around 21:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 6), average cloud 96%.

Dark enough
18:41 – 05:42
Sunset
17:24 · sunrise 07:00
Moon
42% · ↑ 14:57 · ↓ 20:56
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
Kp 6
Kp for photos
In photos: from Kp 4.3 (a red glow low in the north).
Look towards
north (0°)
Sun 18 Oct0Kp 2.0 · cloud 86%
Mon 19 Oct0Kp 4.0 · cloud 100%
Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 20061218
Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

Cloud layers and weather

High cloud Mid cloud Low cloud Sun 18061218Mon 19061218Tue 20061218
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, 21Sun, 00Sun, 03Sun, 18Sun, 21Mon, 00Mon, 03Mon, 18Mon, 21Tue, 00Tue, 03Tue, 18
Low cloud100%100%100%100%100%0%100%100%22%2%33%100%
Mid cloud0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%1%85%82%4%
High cloud99%100%99%0%0%0%0%89%82%7%2%14%
Temperature6 °C5 °C6 °C8 °C8 °C5 °C5 °C6 °C6 °C6 °C7 °C13 °C
Feels like3 °C3 °C4 °C5 °C4 °C1 °C0 °C3 °C2 °C3 °C3 °C10 °C
Wind2 m/s2 m/s2 m/s5 m/s5 m/s4 m/s5 m/s4 m/s3 m/s3 m/s4 m/s5 m/s
Visibility0.1 km0.1 km0.1 km7.8 km9.8 km8.0 km50 km50 km5.8 km50 km11 km36 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 Sejny

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

10°20°30°45° Kp 8 · overheadKp 6 · 12°–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° 2° 1,323 km
3 Below the horizon 0° 5° 1,101 km
4 Below the horizon 3° 9° 878 km
5 Faint glow, mostly on camera 6° 14° 656 km
6 Visible to the north 12° 22° 434 km
7 Visible to the north 25° 42° 211 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 Sejny 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 Sejny 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

Suburban sky. Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference.

A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the east. Open in OpenStreetMap

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 0.5°), 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 Sejny

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

September has been the best month (2% of nights), followed by March (1%).

0%10% July: 0% Jul August: 1% Aug September: 2% Sept October: 1% Oct November: 0% Nov December: 0% Dec January: 0% Jan February: 0% Feb March: 1% Mar April: 1% Apr May: 1% May June: 1% Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
MonthGood nightsClear nightsDarknessLow / high
September 2% 60% 8.5 h 9° / 19°C
October 0.8% 42% 10.8 h 4° / 12°C
November 0.3% 20% 12.5 h 0° / 5°C
December 0.3% 17% 13.5 h -4° / 0°C
January 0.2% 11% 13.0 h -7° / -2°C
February 0.2% 17% 11.4 h -7° / -1°C
March 0.8% 33% 9.5 h -3° / 5°C
April 0.6% 57% 6.9 h 2° / 13°C
Good night = darkness + activity at this place's Kp level + night-time satellite cloud ≤ 70%. GFZ Kp, NASA POWER (CERES), 1° grid. Methodology
5%chance of ≥1 good night in 3 nights (September)
8%chance of ≥1 good night in 5 nights (September)
11%chance of ≥1 good night in 7 nights (September)

Aurora nights in Sejny since 1995

Nights when Kp reached 6 or more while it was dark here.

2013: 21322014: 31432015: 91592016: 61662017: 51752018: 11812021: 12112022: 22222023: 52352024: 1424142025: 1425142026: 8268
Per year, last 12 years. Cloud cover not included. Source: GFZ Kp.

Most recent strong nights

Practical information

Nearest airport
Kaunas International Airport (KUN) · 106 km
Typical low / high in September
9° / 19°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
Poland has no legal winter tyre requirement (minimum tread depth 1.6 mm applies year-round). Road conditions: GDDKiA map service for national roads (winter-condition icons use IMGW data); GDDKiA hotline 19 111. Road conditions
Access to land
State forests are open to the public by default under Art. 26 of the Forest Act, except permanently closed areas (young plantings under 4 m, refuges, erosion zones) and signposted temporary bans (e.g. high fire risk, logging); national parks have their own access rules.
Weather service
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW-PIB)

Questions and answers

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

From Sejny the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 6 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 Sejny?

Face north (about 0° from true north). At Kp 6 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 12° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

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

Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Sejny (2% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by March (1%).

When is the aurora season in Sejny?

Sejny gets dark enough for the aurora all year round, though the long winter nights give the most hours to watch.

Is there much light pollution in Sejny?

Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference. A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the east.

When was the aurora last possible in Sejny?

The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Sejny needs, during darkness, was 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0). It has happened on 217 nights since 1995.

Also covered by this forecast

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