Svalbard & Jan Mayen1 places
Northern Lights in Svalbard, Svalbard & Jan Mayen
In Svalbard the aurora is visible from about Kp 0, first near Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen has the darkest skies among the larger places.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longyearbyen | 0 | 0 | NNW | Pristine dark sky | 2,368 |
Best months in Svalbard
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
February has been the best month (40% of nights), followed by January (36%).
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
- Kp 0–2 Quiet eye in Longyearbyen 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).