Michigan, United StatesMagnetic latitude 55.7°Population 21,297203 m above sea level
Northern lights in Marquette
Marquette needs an active night: from about Kp 3.3 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows. Since 1995 that level (Kp 4.7) was reached during darkness here on 940 nights.
Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 20:06.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Only in photos, if at all
- Solar activity Enough for a camera: Kp 1.7 expected, 1.7 needed for photos, 3.3 for the eye.
- Sky Partly cloudy (44% cloud) — look for gaps.
- Darkness Dark from 20:06 to 07:04.
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.
- Detailed forecast Fri 16 1.7 Photos only · Kp 1.7
- Sat 17 1.7 Photos only · Kp 1.7
- 27-day trend Sun 18 2 Photos only · Kp 2
- Mon 19 2 Photos only · Kp 2
- Tue 20 3 Photos only · Kp 3
- Wed 21 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Thu 22 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Fri 23 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Sat 24 3 Unlikely · Kp 3
- Sun 25 2 Unlikely · Kp 2
- Mon 26 2 Unlikely · Kp 2
- Tue 27 2 Unlikely · Kp 2
- Wed 28 2 Unlikely · Kp 2
- Thu 29 2 Unlikely · Kp 2
- Fri 30 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Sat 31 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Sun 1 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Mon 2 3 Unlikely · Kp 3
- Tue 3 2 Unlikely · Kp 2
- Wed 4 2 Unlikely · Kp 2
- Thu 5 3 Unlikely · Kp 3
- Fri 6 3 Unlikely · Kp 3
- Sat 7 3 Unlikely · Kp 3
Friday 23 October — Possible · Kp 4 · best around 01:00 · Forecast cloud: 52%. · 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 09:44 local time
Unlikely
Best around 00:00. Forecast max Kp 1.7 (this place needs 3.3), average cloud 44%.
- Dark enough
- 20:06 – 07:04
- Sunset
- 19:00 · sunrise 08:10
- Moon
- 31% · ↑ 14:35 · ↓ 22:24
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 3.3
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 1.7 (a red glow low in the north).
- Look towards
- north (0°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Forecast cloud during tonight's darkness: 44% here. The clearest option within 100 km is about 100 km to the south-west, with 6%. Open in OpenStreetMap
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 Marquette
Facing north. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.
| Kp | What you see | Lower edge | Ray tops | Distance to the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 4° | 11° | 756 km |
| 3 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 9° | 18° | 534 km |
| 4 | Visible to the north | 17° | 31° | 311 km |
| 5 | Visible to the north | 49° | 65° | 89 km |
| 6 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 7 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 8 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 9 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
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 next 24 h camera in Marquette Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled eye in Marquette 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
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 east. 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 terrain rises to about 4° above the horizon towards the north. That hides low aurora: here you need about Kp 3.3 instead of Kp 3.3. A hilltop, shore or open field with a clear view to the north helps.
From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.
Best months to see the aurora in Marquette
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
March has been the best month (8% of nights), followed by September (6%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 6% | 18% | 9.1 h | 14° / 16°C |
| October | 6% | 28% | 10.9 h | 9° / 11°C |
| November | 4% | 18% | 12.0 h | 3° / 6°C |
| December | 2% | 12% | 12.9 h | -2° / 1°C |
| January | 2% | 17% | 12.4 h | -5° / -2°C |
| February | 4% | 21% | 11.4 h | -6° / -3°C |
| March | 8% | 32% | 9.9 h | -3° / 0°C |
| April | 0.8% | 7% | 7.9 h | 1° / 4°C |
Aurora nights in Marquette since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 3 October 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 7 September 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 3 July 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 24 June 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 18 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 17 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 2 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
Where to watch near Marquette
-
Presque Isle Park
Peninsula park on Lake Superior with shoreline views; open until 8 pm in winter and 11 pm in other seasons. · about 7 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Lower Harbor Park
Downtown waterfront with views across the harbor, good for strong displays. · about 2 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Sugarloaf Mountain
Short hike to a summit overlooking Lake Superior, named by Travel Marquette as an excellent viewing spot. · about 9 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Wetmore Landing
Lake Superior beach north of town recommended by Travel Marquette, with a dark northern horizon. · about 11 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Little Presque Isle
Undeveloped shoreline north of town with little light pollution. · about 13 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Travel Marquette says a Kp index of at least 4 is usually needed to see the aurora from Marquette.
- The local tourism board names September and March as the best months, with chances from October through February.
- Any Lake Superior shoreline spot with an open view to the north works well because the lake gives a dark, unobstructed horizon.
- Avoid nights near a full moon, which can wash out fainter displays.
- Snow can arrive as early as October, so bring warm clothing and a headlamp.
Presque Isle Park has posted closing hours (8 pm in winter), so plan late-night viewing elsewhere.
Rocky shorelines can be icy and dangerous in the dark; stay back from the water's edge.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport (MQT) · 21 km
- Typical low / high in March
- -3° / 0°C
- What to wear
- Below freezing at night: thermal layers, a warm jacket, hat, gloves and winter boots. 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 Marquette?
Marquette needs an active night: from about Kp 3.3 the aurora appears low over the north horizon, and it rises higher as activity grows.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Marquette?
Face north (about 0° from true north). At Kp 3.3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 17° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Marquette?
Over 2005–2025, March gave the best odds in Marquette (8% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by September (6%).
When is the aurora season in Marquette?
Marquette 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 Marquette?
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 east.
When was the aurora last possible in Marquette?
Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Marquette on 4 October 2026 (Kp 5.0) — 940 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Marquette share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- City of Marquette 1 km
- Sunnyside Estates Community 1 km
- Pioneer Estates 2 km
- Birchgrove Mobile Home Community 2 km
- Freeman Landing 10 km
- Wetmore Landing 10 km
- Charter Township of Marquette 11 km
- Gordon 14 km
- Sands 14 km
- Township of Sands 14 km
- Buckroe 17 km
- Yalmar 19 km
- Birch 22 km
- Sand River 22 km
- New Dalton 23 km
- Deerton 28 km
- Dorsey 33 km
- Sundell 33 km