# Northern lights in Fairbanks tonight and this season > Northern lights in Fairbanks right now: NOAA aurora probability, the Kp index the city needs (Kp 1), the dark-sky season dates and 24 guided tours. Canonical: https://kpforecast.com/fairbanks/ Updated on: 2026-10-09 Aurora probability over Fairbanks 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 24 guided tours that pass the catalogue filter. ## In short Northern lights in Fairbanks need a Kp index of 1 or more, because the city sits at 65.7° N geomagnetic latitude and NOAA's rule of thumb puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Fully dark nights in Fairbanks (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 4 September to 7 April. 24 guided tours leave from Fairbanks with at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews, from 99 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 - Kp needed in Fairbanks: 1 or more, from 65.7° N geomagnetic latitude (WMM2025 dipole) - Fully dark nights in Fairbanks (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 4 September to 7 April. - Aurora probability over Fairbanks from NOAA OVATION, refreshed every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown - 24 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 Alaska for comparison ## Aurora over Fairbanks right now Live figures on the web page, refreshed every 15 minutes. ## The Kp index Fairbanks needs Fairbanks lies at 64.8° N, which is 65.7° 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. So the oval reaches Fairbanks from Kp 1, the threshold the cards on this site compare with the Kp measured right now. 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. ## Kp forecast for the next 3 days Live figures on the web page, refreshed every 15 minutes. ## When the sky over Fairbanks 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 Fairbanks (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 4 September to 7 April. From 25 April to 17 August the sky never gets darker than nautical twilight, so only a strong display shows, low on the horizon. Dates are an own calculation from the sun's declination for the latitude of Fairbanks, 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. ## Why Alaska for the northern lights Fairbanks is the aurora capital of the United States: it sits under the oval, the interior climate is dry and cold with many clear nights, and the tourism board's season (Explore Fairbanks) runs from 21 August to 21 April. Anchorage, three hundred miles south on the coast, needs Kp 3 and has more cloud. Most tours on this page leave from Fairbanks. [All places in Alaska with their odds tonight](/alaska/). ## Fairbanks compared with the other places in Alaska The table ranks the 2 places in Alaska on this site by the Kp they need. Fairbanks is the best placed with Kp 1. Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic | Kp needed | Tours Fairbanks | 64.8° N | 65.7° N | 1 | 24 Anchorage | 61.2° N | 61.9° N | 3 | 3 ## Northern lights tours in Fairbanks 24 guided tours from Fairbanks pass the catalogue filter (at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and the aurora in the title), from 99 USD per person. Prices are starting prices read from the booking catalogue and change with the date. [All tours in the country](/northern-lights-tours/alaska/). [[TOURS:fairbanks:6]] ## Fairbanks in numbers for northern lights planning | Fact | Value | Source | |---|---|---| | Coordinates | 64.8° N, 147.7° W | site destination list | | Geomagnetic latitude | 65.7° N (WMM2025) | NOAA NCEI, own calculation | | Kp needed | 1+ | NOAA rule of thumb | | Fully dark nights | 4 September to 7 April | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions | | Too bright for faint aurora | 25 April to 17 August | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions | | Tours that pass the filter | 24, from 99 USD, counted 9 Oct 2026 | booking catalogue | ## Frequently asked questions ### What Kp index do you need to see the northern lights in Fairbanks? Kp 1 or more. Fairbanks sits at 65.7° N geomagnetic latitude, and NOAA's rule of thumb puts the edge of the auroral oval there from Kp 1. A brighter display can show low on the northern horizon one level earlier. ### When is the best time to see the northern lights in Fairbanks? Fully dark nights in Fairbanks (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 4 September to 7 April. 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 Fairbanks in summer? From 25 April to 17 August 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 Fairbanks? 24 guided tours from Fairbanks pass the filter of 4.3 stars and 20 reviews, from 99 USD per person, counted from the booking catalogue on 9 Oct 2026. ### Is Fairbanks the best place in Alaska for the northern lights? By Kp needed, yes: Fairbanks needs Kp 1, the lowest of the 2 places in Alaska on this site. Clouds and light decide the rest. ### Why does the Fairbanks 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 - [NOAA SWPC, tips on viewing the aurora](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/tips-viewing-aurora), checked on 2026-10-09 - [NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/world-magnetic-model), checked on 2026-10-09 - [NOAA SWPC, OVATION aurora forecast model](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast), checked on 2026-10-09 - [Viator Partner API, catalogue and operator listings](https://www.viator.com/), checked on 2026-10-09 - [US Naval Observatory, rise, set and twilight definitions](https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/RST_defs), checked on 2026-10-09 - [Explore Fairbanks, aurora season (21 August to 21 April)](https://www.explorefairbanks.com/explore-the-area/aurora-season/), checked on 2026-10-09