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Northern Lights in Alaska, United States

In Alaska the aurora is visible from about Kp 0, first near Fairbanks. Deltana has the darkest skies among the larger places.

Next chance in Alaska

Friday 16 October, around 06:30

Good chance · Fairbanks · Reliability: good

PlaceKp neededKp for photosLook towardsLight pollutionPopulation
Fairbanks 0 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 32,325
Badger 0 0 NNE Rural to suburban 19,482
College 0 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 12,964
Farmers Loop 0 0 NNE Dark rural sky 4,853
Utqiagvik 0 0 NNE Suburban sky 4,384
Nome 0 0 NNE Suburban sky 3,806
Kotzebue 0 0 NNE Rural to suburban 3,277
Eielson Air Force Base Census Designated Place 0 0 NNE Suburban sky 2,647
Ester 0 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,422
Deltana 0 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 2,251
North Pole 0 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 2,189
Prudhoe Bay 0 0 NNE Suburban sky 2,174
Tok 0 0 NNE Rural to suburban 1,258
Salcha 0 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,095
Healy 0 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,021
Coldfoot 0 0 NNE Pristine dark sky –
Talkeetna 0 0 NNE Pristine dark sky –
Knik-Fairview 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 14,923
Wasilla 0.3 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 9,284
Lakes 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 8,364
Tanaina 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 8,197
Meadow Lakes 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 7,570
Palmer 0.3 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 6,788
Gateway 0.3 0 NNE Rural to suburban 5,552
Butte 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 3,246
Houston 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 2,206
Willow 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 2,102
Lazy Mountain 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,479
Sutton-Alpine 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,447
Susitna North 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,260
Skagway 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,240
Farm Loop 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 1,028
Anchorage 0.7 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 289,600
Eagle River 0.7 0 NNE City sky 24,793
Elmendorf Air Force Base 0.7 0 NNE Rural to suburban 6,621
Fishhook 0.7 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 4,679
Big Lake 0.7 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 3,350
Cordova 0.7 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,196
Kenai 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 7,661
Sterling 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 5,617
Soldotna 1 0 NNE Suburban sky 4,544
Nikiski 1 0 NNE Dark rural sky 4,493
Ridgeway 1 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,022
Haines 1 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,713
Funny River 1 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,103
Kalifornsky 1.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 7,850
Valdez 1.3 0 NNE Rural to suburban 3,870
Seward 1.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,790
Girdwood 1.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 2,250
Bear Creek 1.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,956
Homer 1.7 0 NNE Dark rural sky 5,515
Bethel 2 0.3 NNE Bright suburban sky 6,450
Juneau 2.3 0.7 NNE Bright suburban sky 31,555
Sitka 2.3 0.7 NNE Rural to suburban 8,863
Ketchikan 2.7 1 NNE Bright suburban sky 8,197
Kodiak 2.7 1 NNE Rural to suburban 6,253
Sand Point 4.7 3 NNE Dark rural sky 1,064
Unalaska 5.7 4 NNE Bright suburban sky 4,491
Dutch Harbor 6.3 4.7 NNE Bright suburban sky 4,376

Best months in Alaska

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

March has been the best month (72% of nights), followed by January (71%).

0%20%40%60%80% – Jul August: 13% Aug September: 37% Sept October: 33% Oct November: 60% Nov December: 65% Dec January: 71% Jan February: 68% Feb March: 72% Mar April: 48% Apr – May – Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
  1. Kp 0–2 Quiet eye in Fairbanks 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) 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).

The town pages in this region also cover 243 villages and districts nearby.

Smaller places