Maine, United StatesMagnetic latitude 51.4°Population 2,55218 m above sea level
Can you see the northern lights in Bar Harbor?
From Bar Harbor the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.3 or more), usually as a glow low in the north-north-west. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does. Since 1995 that level (Kp 5.3) was reached during darkness here on 473 nights.
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Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 18:49.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Too weak: Kp 2.7 expected, 5.3 needed here.
- Sky Overcast (80% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 18:49 to 05:47.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
- Detailed forecast Fri 16 2.7 No · Kp 2.7
- Sat 17 1.7 No · Kp 1.7
- 27-day trend Sun 18 2 No · Kp 2
- Mon 19 2 No · Kp 2
- Tue 20 3 No · Kp 3
- Wed 21 4 Photos only · Kp 4
- Thu 22 4 Unlikely · Kp 4
- Fri 23 4 Photos only · Kp 4
- Sat 24 3 No · Kp 3
- Sun 25 2 No · Kp 2
- Mon 26 2 No · Kp 2
- Tue 27 2 No · Kp 2
- Wed 28 2 No · Kp 2
- Thu 29 2 No · Kp 2
- Fri 30 5 Photos only · Kp 5
- Sat 31 5 Photos only · Kp 5
- Sun 1 5 Photos only · Kp 5
- Mon 2 3 No · Kp 3
- Tue 3 2 No · Kp 2
- Wed 4 2 No · Kp 2
- Thu 5 3 No · Kp 3
- Fri 6 3 No · Kp 3
- Sat 7 3 No · Kp 3
Wednesday 21 October — Photos only · Kp 4 · best around 23:30 · Forecast cloud: 49%. · Reliability: low (rough trend)
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 09:45 local time
Unlikely
Best around 18:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 5.3), average cloud 80%.
- Dark enough
- 18:49 – 05:47
- Sunset
- 17:46 · sunrise 06:50
- Moon
- 31% · ↑ 13:05 · ↓ 21:15
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 5.3
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 3.7 (a red glow low in the north-north-west).
- Look towards
- north-north-west (344°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Tonight's cloud forecast is similar in every direction within 100 km (80% 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 Bar Harbor
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Below the horizon | -1° | 3° | 1,234 km |
| 3 | Below the horizon | 1° | 6° | 1,012 km |
| 4 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 4° | 10° | 790 km |
| 5 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 8° | 17° | 567 km |
| 6 | Visible to the north-north-west | 15° | 28° | 345 km |
| 7 | Visible to the north-north-west | 40° | 58° | 122 km |
| 8 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 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 next 24 h Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
- Kp 4 Active camera in Bar Harbor Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) eye in Bar Harbor 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
Suburban sky. Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference.
A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the south-south-west. Open in OpenStreetMap
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 horizon towards the north-north-west is open (terrain below 1.5°), so low aurora is not blocked.
From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.
Best months to see the aurora in Bar Harbor
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
September has been the best month (3% of nights), followed by May (1%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 3% | 65% | 9.1 h | 14° / 16°C |
| October | 1% | 53% | 10.9 h | 11° / 13°C |
| November | 0.5% | 38% | 12.0 h | 6° / 9°C |
| December | 0.2% | 25% | 12.6 h | 1° / 6°C |
| January | 0.5% | 27% | 12.4 h | -2° / 3°C |
| February | 0.5% | 37% | 11.4 h | -2° / 2°C |
| March | 0.6% | 47% | 9.9 h | 0° / 4°C |
| April | 0.6% | 50% | 8.1 h | 4° / 6°C |
Aurora nights in Bar Harbor since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 5.3 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 3 July 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 15 May 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 18 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 17 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 2 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 20 March 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 13 March 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 21 February 2026 · Kp 5.3
Where to watch near Bar Harbor
-
Cadillac Summit
Highest point in the park with a 360-degree view; vehicle access is managed by reservation from May to October. · about 10 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Sand Beach
Beach on Ocean Drive with an open sky, listed by the NPS as a stargazing spot. · about 7 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Jordan Pond
Pond with a view north toward the Bubbles, listed by the NPS as a stargazing spot. · about 11 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Seawall
Shoreline on the quiet west side of the island, far from town lights. · about 28 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Schoodic Point
Remote granite point on the Schoodic Peninsula reached by a road that is open year-round. · about 79 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- The NPS says Acadia's best night-sky spots are those farthest from town lights, such as Seawall on the quieter west side of Mount Desert Island.
- Go near the new moon and wait an hour or two after sunset for full darkness; at Maine's latitude a strong geomagnetic storm is needed for aurora.
- Most of the Park Loop Road is closed to vehicles from December 1 to April 14, but Ocean Drive and the road to Jordan Pond stay open in winter, weather permitting.
- Schoodic Loop Road on the mainland Schoodic Peninsula is open year-round.
- Bring a red-light flashlight, warm layers and a blanket or chair.
Cadillac Summit Road closes to vehicles at 9 pm each night in season and is closed for winter from December 1; overnight parking is prohibited, though you may hike or bike up with lights.
Use care on uneven granite in the dark and stay out of the water at night on beaches and coastlines.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) · 14 km
- Typical low / high in September
- 14° / 16°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 Bar Harbor?
From Bar Harbor the aurora is seen only during geomagnetic storms (about Kp 5.3 or more), usually as a glow low in the north-north-west. Cameras often pick it up before the eye does.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Bar Harbor?
Face north-north-west (about 344° from true north). At Kp 5.3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 15° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Bar Harbor?
Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Bar Harbor (3% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by May (1%).
When is the aurora season in Bar Harbor?
Bar Harbor 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 Bar Harbor?
Noticeable sky glow. Bright displays are visible, but driving out of town makes a clear difference. A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the south-south-west.
When was the aurora last possible in Bar Harbor?
The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Bar Harbor needs, during darkness, was 3 July 2026 (Kp 7.0). It has happened on 473 nights since 1995.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Bar Harbor share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Town of Bar Harbor 5 km
- Hulls Cove 5 km
- Gerrishville 8 km
- Otter Creek 8 km
- Salsbury Cove 8 km
- Summer Harbor 8 km
- Hancock Point 9 km
- South Gouldsboro 9 km
- Lamoine Beach 10 km
- Seal Harbor 10 km
- Winter Harbor 10 km
- Asticou 11 km
- Hall Quarry 11 km
- Somesville 11 km
- Town of Winter Harbor 11 km
- Town of Mount Desert 12 km
- Birch Harbor 13 km
- Islesford 14 km
- Town of Cranberry Isles 16 km
- Pretty Marsh 16 km