Live aurora forecast
Northern lights in Alta tonight and this season
Aurora probability over Alta right now from NOAA, the Kp index the city needs by geomagnetic latitude, the nights that get dark enough, calculated from the sun, and the 3 guided tours that pass the catalogue filter.
In short
Northern lights in Alta do not wait for a storm: the city sits at 67.2° N geomagnetic latitude, inside the auroral oval already at Kp 0, where NOAA's rule of thumb puts the oval's equatorward edge at about 66°. Any Kp is enough with a dark, clear sky, and the cards on this site use Kp 1, the lowest value they show. Fully dark nights in Alta (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 18 September to 25 March. 3 guided tours leave from Alta with at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews, from 234 USD. The aurora probability over the city right now, from NOAA's OVATION model, is on this page and refreshes every 15 minutes.
Key points
- Alta sits inside the auroral oval already at Kp 0 (67.2° N geomagnetic): any Kp with a dark sky, Kp 1 on the cards
- Fully dark nights in Alta (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 18 September to 25 March.
- Aurora probability over Alta from NOAA OVATION, refreshed every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown
- 3 guided tours pass the filter of 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and an aurora title
- Kp forecast for the next 3 days in 3-hour slots, and the other places in Norway for comparison
On this page
1Aurora over Alta right now
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 14:10 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 15:10 UTC. Aurora also needs a dark and clear sky. Kp needed: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Geomagnetic latitude from the WMM2025 dipole pole (NOAA NCEI).
2The Kp index Alta needs
Alta lies at 70.0° N, which is 67.2° N geomagnetic latitude on the WMM2025 dipole. NOAA's viewing tips put the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic for Kp 0 and move it about 2° closer to the equator with each Kp level, down to 48° at Kp 9. At 67.2° N Alta is inside the oval before any storm begins, so the cards on this site use Kp 1, the lowest value they show. NOAA also notes that aurora can often be observed hundreds of kilometres equatorward of the oval's edge, so a bright display can show low on the northern horizon one Kp level earlier.
3Kp forecast for the next 3 days
| UTC | Fri 9 Oct | Sat 10 Oct | Sun 11 Oct | Mon 12 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00-03 | 4.00 | 4.67 G1 | 3.00 | |
| 03-06 | 3.67 | 5.67 G2 | ||
| 06-09 | 3.00 | 4.33 | ||
| 09-12 | 3.00 | 3.00 | ||
| 12-15 | 4.67 G1 | 1.67 | 2.67 | |
| 15-18 | 5.00 G1 | 2.33 | 2.33 | |
| 18-21 | 6.00 G2 | 2.67 | 2.00 | |
| 21-00 | 5.67 G2 | 2.67 | 2.67 |
Data: NOAA SWPC. Slots before now are NOAA estimates, the rest are predicted values.
4When the sky over Alta is dark enough
The aurora needs a dark sky as much as it needs Kp, and darkness is a matter of latitude and date. Fully dark nights in Alta (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 18 September to 25 March. From 10 April to 1 September the sky never gets darker than nautical twilight, so only a strong display shows, low on the horizon. The polar night lasts from 26 November to 16 January, 52 days with the sun below the horizon all day, when the aurora can show in the afternoon. The midnight sun lasts from 17 May to 26 July, 71 days. Dates are an own calculation from the sun's declination for the latitude of Alta, with the US Naval Observatory definitions of twilight, and can be a day off at the edges. Clouds and moonlight are the other half of the question: the home page shows the moon phase for each of the next 27 days.
5Why Norway for the northern lights
Northern Norway is the busiest aurora coast in Europe. Tromsø has the longest tour list on this site, Alta hosted the world's first northern lights observatory, built on Mount Haldde for Kristian Birkeland's expedition of 1899 to 1900 and staffed permanently from 1912 to 1926, and the Lofoten islands add mountains and sea to the foreground. All three sit inside the oval, so Kp 1 is enough when the sky is dark and clear.
6Alta compared with the other places in Norway
The table lists the 3 places in Norway on this site. All of them need Kp 1.
| Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic | Kp needed | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tromsø | 69.6° N | 67.5° N | 1 | 48 |
| Alta | 70.0° N | 67.2° N | 1 | 3 |
| Svolvær | 68.2° N | 66.9° N | 1 | 0 |
7Northern lights tours in Alta
3 guided tours from Alta pass the catalogue filter (at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and the aurora in the title), from 234 USD per person. Prices are starting prices read from the booking catalogue and change with the date. All tours in the country.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinates | 70.0° N, 23.3° E | site destination list |
| Geomagnetic latitude | 67.2° N (WMM2025) | NOAA NCEI, own calculation |
| Kp needed | any, Kp 1 on the cards | NOAA rule of thumb |
| Fully dark nights | 18 September to 25 March | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions |
| Too bright for faint aurora | 10 April to 1 September | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions |
| Polar night | 26 November to 16 January, 52 days | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions |
| Midnight sun | 17 May to 26 July, 71 days | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions |
| Tours that pass the filter | 3, from 234 USD, counted 9 Oct 2026 | booking catalogue |
Source: NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026.
Latest northern lights posts
Frequently asked questions
What Kp index do you need to see the northern lights in Alta?
Any Kp with a dark, clear sky. Alta sits at 67.2° N geomagnetic latitude, inside the auroral oval already at Kp 0 by NOAA's rule of thumb, which puts the oval's edge at about 66°. The cards on this site use Kp 1, the lowest value they show.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Alta?
Fully dark nights in Alta (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 18 September to 25 March. The darkest skies of the month are the 5 nights around the new moon. The home page shows the moon for each of the next 27 days.
Can you see the northern lights in Alta in summer?
From 10 April to 1 September the sky never gets darker than nautical twilight, so only a strong display shows, low on the horizon.
How many northern lights tours are there in Alta?
3 guided tours from Alta pass the filter of 4.3 stars and 20 reviews, from 234 USD per person, counted from the booking catalogue on 9 Oct 2026.
Is Alta the best place in Norway for the northern lights?
By Kp needed all 3 places in Norway on this site are level at Kp 1, Alta included. Clouds and light decide the rest.
Why does the Alta aurora probability on this page change?
It comes from NOAA's OVATION model, a forecast for the next 30 to 90 minutes, which this site re-reads at most every 15 minutes. The Kp needed, 1, does not change: it is geography.
Sources (6)
Sources
- NOAA SWPC, tips on viewing the aurora, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA SWPC, OVATION aurora forecast model, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Viator Partner API, catalogue and operator listings, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- US Naval Observatory, rise, set and twilight definitions, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia (Norwegian), Haldde observatory, checked on 9 Oct 2026
Written and maintained by the Kp Forecast editorial team. Independent site, not a space weather agency. Data: NOAA SWPC.
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