Pennsylvania, United StatesMagnetic latitude 50.5°Population 2,482502 m above sea level
Can you see the northern lights in Cherry Springs State Park?
From Cherry Springs State Park 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 152 nights.
Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 19:29.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Too weak: Kp 2.7 expected, 6.3 needed here.
- Sky Overcast (100% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 19:29 to 06:26.
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 No · Kp 4
- Thu 22 4 No · Kp 4
- Fri 23 4 No · 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
Saturday 31 October — Photos only · Kp 5 · best around 00:00 · No cloud forecast this far ahead; in October about 52% of nights are clear here. · 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 19:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 6.3), average cloud 100%.
- Dark enough
- 19:29 – 06:26
- Sunset
- 18:29 · sunrise 07:26
- Moon
- 31% · ↑ 13:33 · ↓ 22:08
- 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 6 with an open horizon)
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 4.7 (a red glow low in the north).
- Look towards
- north (350°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Forecast cloud during tonight's darkness: 100% here. The clearest option within 100 km is about 100 km to the south-east, near Williamsport, with 74%. 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 Cherry Springs State Park
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° | 2° | 1,334 km |
| 3 | Below the horizon | 0° | 5° | 1,112 km |
| 4 | Below the horizon | 3° | 8° | 890 km |
| 5 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 6° | 13° | 667 km |
| 6 | Faint glow, mostly on camera | 11° | 22° | 445 km |
| 7 | Visible to the north | 24° | 41° | 222 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 Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) camera in Cherry Springs State Park Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) eye in Cherry Springs State Park 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
Dark rural sky. Little artificial light. Faint displays are visible once your eyes have adapted.
A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the east-south-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 8° above the horizon towards the north. That hides low aurora: here you need about Kp 6.3 instead of Kp 6. 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 Cherry Springs State Park
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
September has been the best month (1% of nights), followed by October (1%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 1% | 66% | 9.3 h | 11° / 22°C |
| October | 0.9% | 52% | 10.9 h | 5° / 15°C |
| November | 0.2% | 41% | 12.0 h | -2° / 7°C |
| December | 0.2% | 22% | 12.6 h | -6° / 1°C |
| January | 0.2% | 29% | 12.3 h | -9° / -2°C |
| February | 0.2% | 38% | 11.1 h | -9° / -1°C |
| March | 0% | 48% | 9.9 h | -5° / 5°C |
| April | 0.3% | 48% | 8.4 h | 0° / 12°C |
Aurora nights in Cherry Springs State Park 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
Where to watch near Cherry Springs State Park
-
Night Sky Public Viewing Area
Public field on the former airstrip for short visits, with a wide open sky. · about 25 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Overnight Astronomy Observation Field
Field with a 360-degree unobstructed horizon for registered overnight observers. · about 24 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Denton Hill State Park
Hilltop park on US 6 between Coudersport and Galeton with an elevated view. · about 18 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Cherry Springs State Park is on PA Route 44 about 24 km (15 miles) southeast of Coudersport, at about 700 m on the Allegheny Plateau.
- It is an International Dark Sky Park with a Bortle 2 sky, among the darkest in the eastern United States, and the aurora can be seen from the park during strong geomagnetic storms.
- The park is open every day of the year; the Night Sky Public Viewing Area is for visits of a few hours, while the Overnight Astronomy Observation Field is for registered overnight observers.
- Avoid white lights at the observing fields; red flashlights preserve everyone's night vision.
- Check the aurora forecast and cloud cover before making the drive, since auroras this far south need a strong storm.
Overnight stays are not permitted at the Night Sky Public Viewing Area; the Overnight Astronomy Observation Field requires registration.
Roads through the surrounding state forest are dark and winding with deer and winter snow; drive slowly.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Bradford Regional Airport (BFD) · 51 km
- Typical low / high in September
- 11° / 22°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 Cherry Springs State Park?
From Cherry Springs State Park 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 Cherry Springs State Park?
Face north (about 350° from true north). At Kp 6.3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 24° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Cherry Springs State Park?
Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Cherry Springs State Park (1% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by October (1%).
When is the aurora season in Cherry Springs State Park?
Cherry Springs State Park 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 Cherry Springs State Park?
Little artificial light. Faint displays are visible once your eyes have adapted. A noticeably darker area starts about 5 km to the east-south-east.
When was the aurora last possible in Cherry Springs State Park?
The most recent night in our data when activity reached the level Cherry Springs State Park needs, during darkness, was 3 July 2026 (Kp 7.0). It has happened on 152 nights since 1995.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Cherry Springs State Park share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Borough of Coudersport 0 km
- Township of Eulalia 3 km
- Lymansville 3 km
- Frinks 5 km
- Olmsted 5 km
- Ice Mine 6 km
- Inez 6 km
- Mina 6 km
- Sweden Valley 6 km
- Ayers Hill 7 km
- Hebron 8 km
- Township of Homer 9 km
- Knowlton 9 km
- Colesburg 10 km
- Township of Hebron 10 km
- Odin 10 km
- Township of Sweden 10 km
- Borie 11 km
- Durward 11 km
- Potter County 11 km
- Township of Roulette 11 km
- Roulette 11 km
- Denton Hill 12 km
- Hebron Center 12 km
- Township of Clara 13 km
- Township of Keating 13 km
- Sweden 13 km
- Township of Allegany 14 km
- Township of Summit 14 km
- Clara 15 km
- Coneville 15 km
- Borough of Austin 16 km
- Lewis Corner 16 km
- Oswayo 16 km
- Borough of Oswayo 16 km
- Township of Pleasant Valley 16 km
- Raymond 16 km
- Andrews Settlement 17 km
- Austin 17 km
- Keating Summit 17 km