Ohio, United StatesMagnetic latitude 49.4°Population 11,547320 m above sea level
Can you see the northern lights in Urbana, Ohio?
From Urbana 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 19:45.
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 4.7 expected, 4.7 needed for photos, 6.3 for the eye.
- Sky Mostly clear (0% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 19:45 to 06:53. A bright moon (78%) 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.
Wednesday 21 October — Photos only · Kp 4.7 · best around 20:00 · 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 14:12 local time
Unlikely
Best around 19:00. Forecast max Kp 4.7 (this place needs 6.3), average cloud 0%.
- Dark enough
- 19:45 – 06:53
- Sunset
- 18:46 · sunrise 07:53
- Moon
- 78% · ↑ 16:30 · ↓ 03:53
- 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 (356°)
Cloud layers and weather
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.
| Time | Wed, 19 | Wed, 22 | Thu, 01 | Thu, 04 | Thu, 19 | Thu, 22 | Fri, 01 | Fri, 04 | Fri, 19 | Fri, 22 | Sat, 01 | Sat, 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 | 14 °C | 12 °C | 10 °C | 9 °C | 14 °C | 12 °C | 10 °C | 9 °C | 14 °C | 12 °C | 10 °C | 9 °C |
| Feels like | 14 °C | 12 °C | 10 °C | 8 °C | 14 °C | 12 °C | 10 °C | 7 °C | 14 °C | 12 °C | 10 °C | 7 °C |
| Wind | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 2 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | 2 m/s | 2 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 Urbana
The aurora only shows through clear skies, so the weather matters as much as the Kp index. Here is the general forecast for Urbana: temperature, wind and the chance of rain for the coming days.
Planning further ahead? See the hour-by-hour weather forecast for Urbana on Atlas of Seasons.
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What you would see from Urbana
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 | Below the horizon | -2° | 1° | 1,457 km |
| 3 | Below the horizon | -1° | 3° | 1,234 km |
| 4 | Below the horizon | 1° | 6° | 1,012 km |
| 5 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 4° | 10° | 790 km |
| 6 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 8° | 17° | 567 km |
| 7 | Visible to the north | 15° | 28° | 345 km |
| 8 | Visible to the north | 40° | 58° | 122 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 Urbana Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) eye in Urbana 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
Bright suburban sky. Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display.
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 Urbana
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%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 2% | 76% | 9.6 h | 13° / 26°C |
| October | 0.9% | 60% | 10.9 h | 7° / 19°C |
| November | 0.6% | 54% | 12.0 h | 0° / 11°C |
| December | 0.3% | 31% | 12.4 h | -4° / 4°C |
| January | 0% | 32% | 12.1 h | -7° / 1°C |
| February | 0.2% | 44% | 11.0 h | -6° / 3°C |
| March | 0% | 55% | 9.9 h | -1° / 10°C |
| April | 0.3% | 52% | 8.5 h | 4° / 16°C |
Aurora nights in Urbana since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 6.3 or more while it was dark here.
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
- James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY) · 46 km
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) · 74 km - Typical low / high in September
- 13° / 26°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 Urbana?
From Urbana 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 Urbana?
Face north (about 356° from true north). At Kp 6.3 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 Urbana?
Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Urbana (2% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by October (1%).
When is the aurora season in Urbana?
Urbana 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 Urbana?
Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display.
When was the aurora last possible in Urbana?
The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Urbana 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 Urbana share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- McKeever Mobile Home Park 2 km
- Champaign County 4 km
- Township of Urbana 4 km
- Hickory Grove Mobile Home Community 5 km
- Kingscreek 6 km
- Westville 7 km
- Mar-nel Mobile Home Park 7 km
- Powhattan 9 km
- Township of Salem 9 km
- Harvest Square Mobile Home Park 9 km
- Bowlusville 10 km
- Eris 10 km
- Lippincott 10 km
- Township of Mad River 10 km
- Mutual 10 km
- Northville 10 km
- Township of Union 10 km
- Township of Concord 11 km
- Kennard 11 km
- Mumper Estates 11 km
- Plateau Acres 11 km
- The Knolls 11 km
- Catawba Station 12 km
- Cable 13 km
- Terre Haute 13 km
- Township of Wayne 13 km
- Middletown 15 km
- Millerstown 15 km
- Mingo 15 km
- Thackery 15 km
- Catawba 16 km
- Crayon 16 km
- Darnell 16 km
- Township of Goshen 17 km
- Mechanicsburg 17 km
- Paris Court East 17 km
- Frost Mobile Home Park 17 km
- Five Points 18 km
- Saint Paris 18 km
- Township of Jackson 19 km