Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 3 °C
8 percent cloud cover - 2 °C0 percent cloud cover
- 2 °C9 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
45°25′17.4″N ⋅ 75°41′49.9″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Ottawa tonight?
No significant aurora activity is expected in Ottawa over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 7:01 PM to 6:32 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks partly cloudy at around 45%.
Aurora Forecast for Ottawa
Today at 2:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:47%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Ottawa
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Ottawa
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Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 14 °C
100 percent cloud cover - 11 °C12 percent cloud cover
- 9 °C2 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 8 °C
16 percent cloud cover - 6 °C
62 percent cloud cover - 5 °C1 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 07:01 PM to 06:32 AM (11 h 31 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Ottawa
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Thursday, October 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, October 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 76% illumination | Saturday, October 31, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Tuesday, November 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Wednesday, November 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 23% illumination | Thursday, November 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Sunday, November 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination |
Monday, November 9, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Friday, November 13, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Saturday, November 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 23% illumination | Sunday, November 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 32% illumination |
Monday, November 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 70% illumination | Friday, November 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Saturday, November 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Sunday, November 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, November 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Tuesday, November 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Ottawa
The nights in Ottawa are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Ottawa: your best chances are in October.
- Dark hours
- Chance of aurora
Long-term averages for clear nights, since 1985. Geomagnetic data: GFZ, CC BY 4.0
Every night of 2026 in Ottawa, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Ottawa
Ottawa is a city of about a million at 45.4°N in eastern Ontario, on the south bank of the Ottawa River with Gatineau, Quebec, across the water. The aurora usually needs a G2 moderate storm to show clearly here. The river helps: parks along its shore look north over open water.
The river shore from Britannia to Petrie Island
Britannia Park, in the west end, looks north across the river and can be reached without a car. Shirley’s Bay, further west, is on the same shore. Petrie Island, on the river in the east end, is another place where photos have been taken. In the strongest storms the aurora has also been photographed from downtown and over the river behind the Champlain and Island Park bridges.
From the water’s edge it can be only faintly visible to the eye, with the camera making it pop. A phone in night mode picks up pink and green that the sky does not show you. See how to photograph the aurora with an iPhone.
Gatineau Park and Mer Bleue close at dusk
Several closer places are awkward at night. City parks, Britannia and Petrie Island among them, close overnight, and bylaw officers have ticketed cars parked at Britannia after 11 pm. In Gatineau Park, the parkways close to cars about half an hour after sunset and for the whole winter from late October, and Champlain Lookout looks west and south over the Ottawa Valley in any case. At Mer Bleue, the bog boardwalk’s car park is open only until sunset.
Constance Bay and North Frontenac
Constance Bay, on the Ottawa River about 25 km north-west of Kanata, is away from the suburbs. North Frontenac Astronomy Park, about two hours south-west near Plevna, is free and open all night. In 2013 North Frontenac became the first Canadian municipality with Dark Sky Preserve status.
FAQ
Can you see the northern lights from downtown Ottawa?
On strong nights, yes. In the strongest storms the aurora has been photographed from downtown and over the Ottawa River, behind the Champlain and Island Park bridges. On most aurora nights, though, the display is a faint glow low in the north that the city lights wash out.
Can you drive into Gatineau Park at night to see the northern lights?
Not on the parkways. The National Capital Commission closes the Gatineau Park parkways to cars about half an hour after sunset, and for the whole winter from late October, when they become ski trails. That rules out a night drive to Champlain Lookout, which looks west and south over the Ottawa Valley anyway. Hikers and cyclists can use the parkways at any hour.
Where along the Ottawa River can you watch the northern lights?
In the west end, Britannia Park and Shirley's Bay look north across the water, and Britannia can be reached without a car. In the east end, Petrie Island has been photographed under the aurora. City parks close overnight, and bylaw officers have ticketed cars parked at Britannia after 11 pm. Further out, Constance Bay sits on the river about 25 km north-west of Kanata.
Which way should you drive from Ottawa to see the northern lights?
North, east or west, according to Ottawa astronomer Gary Boyle. If you head south you have to look north back over Ottawa's light dome to see the aurora. Going west along the Ottawa River or north into the Gatineau Hills keeps the city behind you.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Ottawa?
The nights in Ottawa are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Ottawa: your best chances are in October. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 13 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Ottawa in summer?
Yes. The nights in Ottawa are dark all year, so the aurora can show in summer too when it reaches this far south.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Ottawa?
In Ottawa, you usually need at least Kp 6 to have a reasonable chance of seeing the northern lights. Lower Kp can still bring a faint aurora display low on the northern horizon, but it is less common.
This is based on magnetic latitude, and Kp index is a global geomagnetic index, so treat it as a rule of thumb, not a location-specific guarantee.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 1.3 to 1.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Ottawa, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.