Svalbard, Svalbard & Jan MayenMagnetic latitude 76.0°Population 2,3681 m above sea level
Northern lights in Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen sits right under the auroral oval: on clear, dark nights the aurora is often overhead, even when activity is quiet. Clouds matter far more than the Kp number here.
Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 19:44.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Strong enough: Kp 2.7 expected, 0 needed here.
- Sky Overcast (99% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 19:44 to 05:44.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
- Detailed forecast Fri 16 2.7 Possible · Kp 2.7
- Sat 17 1.7 Good chance · Kp 1.7
- Sun 18 1.7 Possible · Kp 1.7
- 27-day trend Mon 19 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Tue 20 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Wed 21 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Thu 22 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Fri 23 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Sat 24 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Sun 25 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Mon 26 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Tue 27 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Wed 28 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Thu 29 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Fri 30 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Sat 31 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Sun 1 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Mon 2 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Tue 3 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Wed 4 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Thu 5 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Fri 6 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Sat 7 3 Possible · Kp 3
Sunday 18 October — Good chance · Kp 1.7 · best around 00:30 · Forecast cloud: 49%. · Reliability: medium
Each box is one night: the colour shows the chance, the number the expected Kp. Tap a night for details.
📅 Add these nights to your calendar — it updates itself (.ics)
How far ahead can the northern lights be forecast?
- Minutes to an hour: satellites 1.5 million km away measure the solar wind before it reaches Earth. This is the surest warning — the “Right now” box uses it.
- 1–3 days: when the Sun throws out a cloud of particles, it takes one to three days to arrive. NOAA's 3-hourly forecast covers these nights; the timing can still be off by a few hours.
- 4–27 days: the Sun turns once every 27 days, and regions that disturbed Earth's field last time often do it again. NOAA's 27-day outlook gives this rough trend — new eruptions are not in it yet.
Tonight
Updated 15:43 local time
Unlikely
Best around 00:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 0), average cloud 99%.
- Dark enough
- 19:44 – 05:44
- Sunset
- 15:48 · sunrise 09:44
- Moon
- 31%
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 0
- Look towards
- north-north-west (346°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Tonight's cloud forecast is similar in every direction within 100 km (99% here), so driving is unlikely to help.
MET Norway forecast at 24 points within 100 km, averaged over the dark hours. Check roads and conditions before driving.
Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology
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What you would see from Longyearbyen
Facing north-north-west. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.
| Kp | What you see | Lower edge | Ray tops | Distance to the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 2 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 3 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 4 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 5 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 6 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 7 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 8 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
| 9 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-east | – | – | – |
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.
- 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 next 24 h 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).
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 terrain rises to about 4° above the horizon towards the north-north-west. That hides low aurora: here you need about Kp 0 instead of Kp 0. A hilltop, shore or open field with a clear view to the north-north-west helps.
From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.
Best months to see the aurora in Longyearbyen
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%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 2% | 5% | – | -2° / 1°C |
| October | 22% | 22% | 9.4 h | -7° / -4°C |
| November | 26% | 26% | 16.0 h | -11° / -7°C |
| December | 32% | 32% | 20.0 h | -13° / -8°C |
| January | 36% | 36% | 17.8 h | -14° / -9°C |
| February | 40% | 40% | 11.8 h | -15° / -10°C |
| March | 25% | 46% | 3.3 h | -17° / -12°C |
| April | 0% | 36% | – | -14° / -9°C |
Darkness through the year
- No full darkness (Sun 12° below the horizon) from 20 March to 23 September — the sky stays too bright for most auroras.
- Midnight sun from 20 April to 23 August.
- Polar night from 28 October to 14 February: the sun stays below the horizon, giving the longest viewing windows.
- Next new moon 9 November, next full moon 26 October. The darkest skies are in the week around new moon.
Aurora nights in Longyearbyen since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 22 March 2026 · Kp 6.7
- 20 March 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 13 March 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 3 March 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 22 February 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 16 February 2026 · Kp 5.7
Where to watch near Longyearbyen
-
Nybyen
The upper end of Longyearbyen valley, darker than the town centre and still close to the settlement. · about 3 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Svalbard Global Seed Vault road
A mountainside site near the airport with views over Adventfjorden away from the town lights. · about 5 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Adventdalen
A wide, open valley east of town with very dark skies, used by most aurora tours. · about 7 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Bolterdalen
A side valley used by dog-sledding and aurora camps, far from settlement lighting. · about 15 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Longyearbyen has polar night from about 27 October to 15 February, so the aurora can be seen at any hour of the dark season; Visit Svalbard's 'Northern Lights Winter' runs from 1 October to 28 February.
- Svalbard Airport is about 5 km northwest of town, with flights from mainland Norway.
- Events include Dark Season Blues in October, Polarjazz in late January or early February, and Solfestuka in the week around 8 March, when the sun returns.
- Visit Svalbard advises taking organised trips with a local guide outside the settlement.
Polar bears can be met anywhere on Svalbard at any time; anyone travelling outside the settlement must carry suitable means of scaring off bears, and the Governor recommends carrying a firearm. Go with a licensed guide.
Loaded firearms are banned inside the Longyearbyen settlement area.
New field-safety regulations apply from 2026: tourist and field activities need notification, permits and insurance, and approved Svalbard guides will be required from July 2027.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR) · 5 km
- Typical low / high in February
- -15° / -10°C
- What to wear
- Arctic cold: wool base layers, insulated jacket and trousers, warm boots, hat and mittens. Full clothing guide
Questions and answers
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Longyearbyen?
Longyearbyen sits right under the auroral oval: on clear, dark nights the aurora is often overhead, even when activity is quiet. Clouds matter far more than the Kp number here.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Longyearbyen?
Around Longyearbyen the aurora is often right overhead. Start by facing north-north-west, but look up and all around — in strong storms it can fill the whole sky and even appear behind you.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Longyearbyen?
Over 2005–2025, February gave the best odds in Longyearbyen (40% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by January (36%).
When is the aurora season in Longyearbyen?
From 20 March to 23 September the sky in Longyearbyen never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.
Is there much light pollution in Longyearbyen?
Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.
When was the aurora last possible in Longyearbyen?
Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Longyearbyen on 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0) — 651 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.