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Northern Lights in Slovenia: Where and When to See Them

From Slovenia the aurora is mostly a camera sight: in severe storms (about Kp 5 or more) a red glow rises low over the horizon, as it did in May and October 2024.

Where the aurora is easiest to see

PlaceRegionKp neededKp for photosMagnetic latitude
MariborMaribor City Municipality9+541.9°
Murska SobotaCity Municipality of Murska Sobota9+542.1°
Šentilj v Slov. GoricahMunicipality of Šentilj9+542.1°
Slovenj GradecCity Municipality of Slovenj Gradec9+541.9°
Ravne na KoroškemMunicipality of Ravne na Koroškem9+541.9°
PrevaljeMunicipality of Prevalje9+541.9°
RušeRuše Municipality9+541.9°
Miklavž na Dravskem PoljuMunicipality of Miklavž na Dravskem Polju9+541.9°

Largest cities

PlacePopulationKp needed
Ljubljana272,2209+
Maribor96,2099+
Celje38,0599+
Kranj37,9669+
Koper25,7539+
Novo Mesto24,4469+
Velenje24,3279+
Ptuj17,9849+

Storm watch: can you see the northern lights from Slovenia?

Rarely, but yes. In strong storms (about Kp 5 or more) the red upper layer of the aurora, 300–400 km up, rises above the northern horizon of Slovenia. Phone and camera sensors pick it up far more easily than the eye.

…

PlaceKp for photosKp for the eyePhoto nights since 1995Last time
Maribor 5 9+ 728 Oct 2026
Murska Sobota 5 9+ 728 Oct 2026
Šentilj v Slov. Goricah 5 9+ 728 Oct 2026
Slovenj Gradec 5 9+ 729 Oct 2026
Ravne na Koroškem 5 9+ 729 Oct 2026
Prevalje 5 9+ 729 Oct 2026
Ruše 5 9+ 728 Oct 2026
Miklavž na Dravskem Polju 5 9+ 729 Oct 2026
Ljutomer 5 9+ 730 Oct 2026
Dravograd 5 9+ 729 Oct 2026
Lenart v Slovenskih Goricah 5 9+ 729 Oct 2026
Mežica 5 9+ 730 Oct 2026

When it was last seen from Slovenia

Nights with enough activity for photos from Maribor during darkness (Kp 5 or more):

  • 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.0
  • 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.7
  • 18 August 2026 · Kp 5.3
  • 8 August 2026 · Kp 5.7
  • 3 July 2026 · Kp 5.3
  • 5 June 2026 · Kp 5.0
  • 15 May 2026 · Kp 6.0
  • 4 May 2026 · Kp 6.0
  • 20 April 2026 · Kp 5.0
  • 3 April 2026 · Kp 5.7

How to catch it from Slovenia

  1. Watch the forecast: you need about Kp 5 or more — a strong to severe storm. These arrive a day or two after a big eruption on the Sun, so there is usually some warning.
  2. Get away from city lights and find an open view to the north: a coast, a hill or a field. The glow sits low over the horizon.
  3. Use your phone's night mode or a camera on a tripod (3–15 s). Check the photo: a red or pink sky to the north is the aurora.
  4. The best hours are usually 22:00–02:00 local time, but in big storms it can start right after dusk.
  1. Kp 0–2 Quiet Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
  2. Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
  3. Kp 4 Active Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
  4. Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) camera in Maribor 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).

Live sightings

Where visitors are reporting the aurora right now. A place climbs with every report and drops again as the reports age.

  1. …

    Regions of Slovenia