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 Missouri
Tonight the forecast peak is Kp 3.7. From northern Missouri: not expected. From Kansas City: not expected.
The next three nights
| Night (9 pm to 3 am) | Peak Kp | Northern Missouri | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 4 | 3.7 | Not expected | Not expected |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 2.0 | Not expected | Not expected |
| Fri, Nov 6 | n/a | No forecast yet | No forecast yet |
What Missouri needs
The aurora reaches the northern edge of Missouri at about Kp 8.1, and Kansas City at about Kp 8.8. 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 Missouri
From the cities that need the least Kp to the most:
- St. Joseph: about Kp 8.5
- Kansas City: about Kp 8.8
- Independence: about Kp 8.8
- Columbia: about Kp 8.9
- Florissant: about Kp 8.9
- Blue Springs: about Kp 8.9
- St. Charles: about Kp 8.9
- St. Peters: about Kp 8.9
- O'Fallon: about Kp 8.9
- Lee's Summit: about Kp 8.9
- St. Louis: about Kp 8.9
Forecast: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center 3-day Kp forecast, refreshed every few hours. The visibility rule is approximate.