How to see the northern and southern lights

Aurora appears when energetic particles interact with gases high in Earth's atmosphere. The northern and southern lights form in regions around the magnetic poles, and those regions can expand towards lower latitudes during stronger geomagnetic activity. NOAA explains the process and common shapes in its aurora overview.

A display may be a pale arc or glow near the horizon, separate rays, or moving curtains overhead. Brightness and colour vary. A camera exposure can show colour more strongly than your eyes, so photographs from the same night are not a promise of what you will see unaided. Give your eyes time away from bright screens and look again over several minutes.

Choose a location where you can legally stop and stand away from traffic, water edges and other hazards. Check opening hours and access before leaving; a dark-looking place on a map may be private or closed. Take warm layers, a charged phone, and a way to return safely. Tell someone your plan if you are going somewhere remote.

Aurora needs a dark sky and a clear line of sight. Check the hourly cloud forecast in the direction you expect to look, as well as the Moon and local lights. At high latitudes, long summer twilight can prevent a properly dark sky even when activity is strong. NOAA's viewing advice explains why darkness, clouds and local light matter. The Tonight planner gives available cloud forecasts and approximate Moon context; a forecast is not an observation.

Use a forecast for your hemisphere and check when it was issued. NOAA's aurora forecast shows the expected auroral oval in the north and south. It is a short-term model, generally using upstream solar-wind measurements; NOAA notes that when those inputs are unavailable, a fallback based on current Kp provides no forecast lead time.

The oval is an estimate, not a line at which visibility suddenly starts or stops. You do not have to be directly underneath a bright display to see it: it can appear low on the poleward horizon when conditions allow. Conversely, an encouraging forecast can still produce little visible from your chosen spot. Check for updates close to departure and while observing.

Kp is a global index of geomagnetic activity. A higher value can accompany an expanded auroral oval, but a single Kp number cannot say whether a particular town will see a display. Local cloud, twilight, light pollution, viewing direction and the changing shape and brightness of the aurora all matter. NOAA's K-index guide explains the index and its limitations.

Darkest Hour's aurora page provides global space-weather context. It is not a town-level visibility guarantee. Use it alongside the hemisphere forecast, a local weather forecast and recent observations where available.

Look toward the poleward horizon first: generally north in the Northern Hemisphere and south in the Southern Hemisphere when you are away from the auroral oval. If the oval is overhead or on the other side of your location, the best direction can differ. Scan a wider area rather than staring at one point.

Give yourself enough time for conditions to change. Check that a pale glow is not a stationary light dome, illuminated cloud or twilight: auroral arcs and rays can change shape or position, although a faint display may be subtle. Keep your screen dim and avoid shining lights at other observers. If the weather or route becomes unsafe, leave; no display is worth a dangerous drive.

Use a stable tripod or support and focus on a distant light or bright star before the display intensifies. Start with a short test exposure and inspect sharpness, brightness and star shapes. A longer exposure can record a faint glow, but it can also blur moving auroral structure. Keep a copy of the unedited image and adjust settings for the actual conditions rather than relying on one universal recipe. The aurora photography guide covers camera and phone choices in more detail.

Reviewed 14 November 2026 using NOAA's aurora overview, viewing advice, short-term forecast and K-index guide. Forecasts and access conditions change; check current information before travelling.