Illinois, United StatesMagnetic latitude 49.9°Population 78,292243 m above sea level

Can you see the northern lights in Bloomington, Illinois?

From Bloomington the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 6.3 or more), usually as a glow low in the north. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does. Since 1995 that level (Kp 6.3) was reached during darkness here on 150 nights.

Right now

It is still light here. Darkness starts at 19:07.

Kp 1.0 · 424 km/s · Bz -5.2

Latest measured half-hour activity worldwide: Hp30 2.

Updates every minute while this page is open. Ground data: GFZ Potsdam Hp30 index (CC BY 4.0).

Tonight in one minute

Only in photos, if at all

Solar activity Enough for a camera: Kp 4.7 expected, 4.7 needed for photos, 6.3 for the eye.
Sky Mostly clear (0% cloud).
Darkness Dark from 19:07 to 06:14. A bright moon (71%) washes out faint displays.

What to do: Point a phone in night mode north (3–10 s exposure). A red or green glow often shows on the screen before you can see it.

Tonight is your chance

Wednesday 21 October, around 02:30

Photos only · Kp 4.7 is expected — enough for a camera here (photos from Kp 4.7), not for the eye. Forecast cloud: 0%.

Reliability: good Take a phone with night mode and point it north, low over the horizon.

Best night in this period: Saturday 31 October (photos only).

Good chance Possible Photos only No

Detailed forecast Tue 20 4.7

Wed 21 3.7

27-day trend Thu 22 2

Fri 23 4

Sat 24 3

Sun 25 2

Mon 26 2

Tue 27 2

Wed 28 2

Thu 29 2

Fri 30 5

Sat 31 5

Sun 1 5

Mon 2 3

Tue 3 2

Wed 4 3

Thu 5 3

Fri 6 3

Sat 7 3

Sun 8 4

Mon 9 4

Tue 10 3

Wed 11 3

Thu 12 3

Fri 13 2

Sat 14 2

Wednesday 21 October — Photos only · Kp 4.7 · best around 02:30 · Forecast cloud: 0%. · Reliability: good

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 17:47 local time

8/100

Unlikely

Best around 02:00. Forecast max Kp 4.7 (this place needs 6.3), average cloud 0%.

Dark enough: 19:07 – 06:14
Sunset: 18:08 · sunrise 07:13
Moon: 71% · ↑ 15:28 · ↓ 02:10
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.: Kp 6.3
Kp for photos: In photos: from Kp 4.7 (a red glow low in the north).
Look towards: north (0°)

Wed 21 Oct1Kp 3.7 · cloud 0%

Thu 22 Oct0Kp 1.7 · cloud 38%

Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

Cloud layers and weather

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
Time	Tue, 19	Tue, 22	Wed, 01	Wed, 04	Wed, 19	Wed, 22	Thu, 01	Thu, 04	Thu, 19	Thu, 22	Fri, 01	Fri, 04
Low cloud	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Mid cloud	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
High cloud	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Temperature	15 °C	13 °C	12 °C	10 °C	16 °C	14 °C	13 °C	12 °C	17 °C	15 °C	14 °C	12 °C
Feels like	15 °C	13 °C	12 °C	9 °C	16 °C	14 °C	13 °C	12 °C	17 °C	15 °C	14 °C	12 °C
Wind	2 m/s	2 m/s	2 m/s	2 m/s	1 m/s	1 m/s	1 m/s	1 m/s	2 m/s	3 m/s	3 m/s	3 m/s

Cloud layers and weather: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology

Weather in Bloomington

The aurora only shows through clear skies, so the weather matters as much as the Kp index. Here is the general forecast for Bloomington: temperature, wind and the chance of rain for the coming days.

Planning further ahead? See the hour-by-hour weather forecast for Bloomington on Atlas of Seasons.

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Preview

What you would see from Bloomington

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

Computed from the auroral oval position for each Kp level (lower border ~105 km, ray tops ~200 km up). Terrain not modelled for this place; the horizon is drawn flat.

Angles above the horizon. Terrain in the look direction is taken into account where modelled.
Kp	What you see	Lower edge	Ray tops	Distance to the aurora
2	Below the horizon	-2°	2°	1,401 km
3	Below the horizon	0°	4°	1,179 km
4	Below the horizon	2°	7°	956 km
5	Faint glow, mostly on camera	5°	12°	734 km
6	Faint glow, mostly on camera	9°	19°	512 km
7	Visible to the north	19°	33°	289 km
8	Visible to the north	57°	71°	67 km
9	Overhead and all around	–	–	–

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 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) next 24 h camera in Bloomington Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) eye in Bloomington 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

City sky. City lights hide all but the brightest displays. Plan to leave the urban area.

Estimate from NASA VIIRS night-light data (sky-glow model within 50 km). Check access and private land before you go.

Hills and mountains

Terrain is not modelled for this place.

From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.

Best months to see the aurora in Bloomington

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 October (1%).

All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum

Good night = darkness + activity at this place's Kp level + night-time satellite cloud ≤ 70%. GFZ Kp, NASA POWER (CERES), 1° grid. Methodology
Month	Good nights	Clear nights	Darkness	Low / high
September	2%	75%	9.6 h	14° / 27°C
October	0.8%	69%	10.9 h	7° / 19°C
November	0.6%	62%	12.0 h	0° / 11°C
December	0.2%	40%	12.4 h	-4° / 4°C
January	0.3%	47%	12.3 h	-7° / 1°C
February	0.2%	53%	11.0 h	-7° / 4°C
March	0.2%	56%	9.9 h	0° / 11°C
April	0.6%	59%	8.5 h	5° / 18°C

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 Bloomington since 1995

Nights when Kp reached 6.3 or more while it was dark here.

Per year, last 12 years. Cloud cover not included. Source: GFZ Kp.

Most recent strong nights

3 July 2026 · Kp 7.0
21 March 2026 · Kp 6.3
20 March 2026 · Kp 7.0
20 January 2026 · Kp 7.3
19 January 2026 · Kp 7.7
12 November 2025 · Kp 7.3
11 November 2025 · Kp 8.7
5 November 2025 · Kp 6.7

Practical information

Nearest airport: Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI) · 7 km
Typical low / high in September: 14° / 27°C
What to wear: Cool nights: layers, a windproof jacket, hat and gloves for standing still outside. Full clothing guide
Emergency number: 911
Winter driving: Tyre and chain rules are set at state level; check Alaska 511 (511.alaska.gov, Alaska DOT&PF) for Alaska roads, or the relevant state's 511 service elsewhere. Road conditions
Access to land: There is no general right to roam; trespass law is set by each state, so stay on public land (national parks, national forests, BLM land) or get the landowner's permission, and follow each park's night-time and parking rules.
Official space-weather service: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (aurora dashboard)
Weather service: National Weather Service (NOAA)

Questions and answers

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

From Bloomington the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 6.3 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 Bloomington?

Face north (about 0° from true north). At Kp 6.3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 19° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

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

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

When is the aurora season in Bloomington?

Bloomington 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 Bloomington?

City lights hide all but the brightest displays. Plan to leave the urban area.

When was the aurora last possible in Bloomington?

The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Bloomington needs, during darkness, was 3 July 2026 (Kp 7.0). It has happened on 150 nights since 1995.

Also covered by this forecast

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

Township of Bloomington City 2 km
Bloomington Heights 3 km
Hilltop Trailer Park 3 km
Mobil-Land Trailer Park 3 km
Willow Creek Trailer Park 3 km
Southgate Estates Trailer Park 4 km
Township of Bloomington 6 km
Colonial Meadows 6 km
Hendrix 7 km
Twin Grove 7 km
Brokaw 9 km
Burns 9 km
Township of Dale 10 km
Shirley 10 km
Covell 11 km
Shamrock 11 km
Gillum 12 km
Township of Old Town 12 km
Randolph 12 km
Downs 14 km
Bentown 16 km
Holder 16 km
Township of Randolph 16 km
Funks Grove 17 km
Township of Funks Grove 18 km
Township of Allin 19 km
Township of Downs 19 km
Heyworth 19 km
Padua 20 km
Stanford 20 km
Township of Dawson 21 km
Ellsworth 24 km
Le Roy 24 km
McLean 24 km
Township of Mount Hope 24 km
Township of Empire 26 km
Arrowsmith 31 km
Township of Arrowsmith 31 km
Empire 31 km
Township of Rutledge 33 km

Nearby places

All places in Illinois

Kp 6.3