An alert when the aurora can reach your own sky, the hours it is dark enough, and a camera that stacks a sharp shot.
AuroraCue: Aurora ForecastAn alert when the aurora can reach your own sky, the hours it is dark enough, and a camera that stacks a sharp shot.
Northern lights tonight in Alaska
Tonight the forecast peak is Kp 3.7. From northern Alaska: good chance, low in the north. From Anchorage: good chance, low in the north.
The next three nights
| Night (9 pm to 3 am) | Peak Kp | Northern Alaska | Anchorage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 4 | 3.7 | Good chance, low in the north | Good chance, low in the north |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 2.3 | Good chance, low in the north | Unlikely; watch for an upgrade |
| Fri, Nov 6 | n/a | No forecast yet | No forecast yet |
What Alaska needs
The aurora reaches the northern edge of Alaska at about Kp 0.0, and Anchorage at about Kp 2.6. Kp is NOAA's 0-9 index of geomagnetic activity; the higher it goes, the farther south the aurora can be seen.
How to see it
- Get away from city lights and face north, with a clear view of the horizon.
- The best hours are usually 10 pm to 2 am, and clouds hide everything, so check the sky too.
- A phone camera on a long exposure often shows color the eye misses.
Northern lights tonight by city in Alaska
From the cities that need the least Kp to the most:
Forecast: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center 3-day Kp forecast, refreshed every few hours. The visibility rule is approximate.