Live Aurora Map

This aurora map shows where the northern lights are likely to be visible over the next hour. The glowing ring around the pole is the auroral oval, and its color shows how strong the aurora activity is.

Where the data comes from

The map shows NOAA's OVATION aurora forecast, which predicts aurora activity for roughly the next 30 to 90 minutes. It refreshes every few minutes.

The Clouds button adds ECMWF's cloud cover forecast for the current hour, in four shades from partly cloudy to overcast. It's a forecast, not a satellite picture: ECMWF runs its model four times a day, and each run comes out about seven hours after it starts.

How to read the map

• The aurora is only visible in the dark. The shaded side of the globe is night, and the lighter band at its edge is twilight, from sunset until the sky is dark enough.
• When activity is strong, the oval grows toward the equator and the northern lights can reach places like Scotland, southern Scandinavia and the northern United States.
• You can often see the aurora low on the horizon even when the oval is a few hundred kilometers away from you.
• Clouds and city lights can hide the aurora even when activity is high, so check the cloud forecast for your location and find a dark spot.